Dundalk FC suffer defeat at the hands of the Saints

For the second time this season, Dundalk FC suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of St Patrick’s Athletic who soared to the top of the SSE Airticity League with this emphatic victory at Oriel Park on Monday night.

This result leaves St Patricks’ top of the league, with Shamrock Rovers still with a game in hand, while Dundalk remain in fourth place, but are now on one win in their last 10 league games and were outplayed for large spells of this league clash, with Pats fans chanting “We are top of the league” by the end of proceedings.

On 11 minutes, a nicely constructed move out from the back by St Pats saw Barry Baggley play the ball out to Anton Breslin on the left wing, whose cross missed the outstretched Anthony Olusanya.

While they did begin the match positively, Dundalk struggled to create anything of note early on, with Aodh Dervin firing harmlessly over the bar from 20 years after referee Marc Lynch allowed an advantage following a foul on Harry Groome.

At the other end, Aidan Keena’s volley from the right of the box failed to trouble Dundalk keeper, Enda Minogue.

But St Pats took the lead on 21 minutes, when a long ball from Jamie Lennon sprung the lively Olusanya, who beat the offside trap on the ring wing, he held the ball up, before pulling back to Aidan Keena who rifled to the bottom corner from after 12 yards.

Dundalk continued to struggle in the final third with their final pass or cross going astray, and Pats struck again on 37 minutes, when Keena fired home his second of the night.

Joe Redmond’s strike from inside the six yard box following a Barry Baggley corner was kept out by Minogue, only for Keena to pounce from 2 yards out to make it 2-0.

Arguably the closest Dundalk came to scoring was when Tom Grivosti’s curling shot punched away by Pats’ keeper Anang, who also stood up strong to deny Cian Dillon from a tricky angle, as the home side did finish the half strongly.

Egor Vassenin also saw a volley bounce narrowly wide, but Pats went close to a third goal just on half time, when an unmarked Joe Redmond volleyed over the bar from a Keena free kick.

St Pats picked up from where they left off after half time, with Aidan Keena coming close to completing a hattrick. He tamely shot straight at Minogue, before the Dundalk keeper clawed away a header from the former Sligo Rovers man on 67 minutes.

Egor Vassenin fired waywardly over the bar from a Daryl Horgan pull back for Dundalk, but a moment which probably summed up the home side’s night was when Bobby Burns’ strike from the edge of the box struck an offside Leo Gaxha.

St Pats made sure of the points on 75 minutes, when Ryan Sheridan beautifully controlled a fizzing James Brown cross, before rifling the ball to the roof of the net for a deserved third goal for Pats.

James Brown who caught the eye following his introduction went close, went close when his left foot strike flashed narrowly wide following a mazy run off the right wing.

St Patrick’s Athletic added further gloss to the scoreline when sub Ryan Edmondson headed home a Sean Hoare flick on from a Brown free kick to make it 4-0.

Edmondson also saw his close range shot blocked by Dundalk’s Tom Grivosti after sloppy play in the home side’s defence, while Romal Palmer was denied by the post late on, on what was a happy return to Oriel Park for their manager and former Lillywhite boss, Stephen Kenny.

Dundalk: Enda Minogue; Luke Mulligan (JR Wilson HT), Egor Vassenin, Tom Grivosti, Bobby Burns; Aodh Dervin (Harvey Warren 69), Harry Groome (Shane Tracey HT), Ronan Teahan, Trevor Clarke (Declan McDaid 76), Daryl Horgan; Cian Dillon (Leo Gaxha 55).

Subs: Peter Cherrie (GK), Sean Spaight, Aaron Keogh, Samuel Safaei.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Sean Hoare, Joe Redmond, Luke Turner; Jamie Lennon, Anthony Breslin; Zach Elbouzedi (James Brown 59), Ryan Sheridan (Chris Forrester 79), Barry Baggley (Darragh Nugent 59), Anthony Olusanya (Romal Palmer 79); Aidan Keena (Ryan Edmondson 69).

Subs: Daniel Rogers (GK), Jason McClleland, Sean McHale, Samuel Rooney.

Referee: Marc Lynch.

Attendance: 2,435