The Commentary Box: Dundalk put in a stunning performance last Friday

In front of a crowd of just 450 people, Dundalk dominated from beginning to end. Yet the winning goal only came a minute into injury time from Tyreke Wilson.

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And Galway should have levelled right at the death, when from a set piece the home side missed a sitter two yards from the Dundalk goal.

The game was mired in controversy at the start of the week, when it emerged that the Galway GAA County grounds were unavailable for Friday night.

A sizeable number of Dundalk fans had already booked their overnight accommodation for the game in Galway.

On Sunday, it began to emerge that there would have to be a change of venue.

Galway requested that the game be switched to Oriel on Friday and the return game be held in Galway on that due date for Galway.

Dundalk had requested Derry do a similar switch with them earlier in the season, as Oriel was not available for the home game due to works on the pitch there. That went off without a hitch.

But Dundalk told Galway they could not accede to their request, as they had centenary celebrations planned for the night they play the Tribesmen in Oriel later in the season.

This was the first I heard of centenary celebrations being planned for that evening. I have no idea what they are, but I do have some sympathy for Galway at this request.

However, Dundalk were fully correct in not agreeing to play the game at Pearse Stadium last night.

That would have been a huge disruption to Ciaran Kilduff's plans for the game against Bohemians on Friday night in Dublin.

And I can understand Dundalk turning down the request for the game to be played in Oriel, as they must have vital plans for the centenary that might.

I just wish they let the media and the public know. Galway turned down the chance of playing the game in Athlone. It is one of the best stadiums in the country.

The game could have been played there on Friday. But Galway refused as they said the astro turf surface now in place similar to Oriel was hazardous to health.

This makes no sense, as they were prepared to come to Oriel last Friday to play the game.

If Oriel or the Athlone Town stadium was a health hazard, there would be no games played at these stadiums or other astro turf pitches.

Galway had an opportunity to switch the game to Sligo, also. They did not take this up. They could have even travelled to Tallaght Stadium.

If Galway had played in Athlone, they would have got a big crowd. It's only 40 miles from the Western capital.

Many Dundalk supporters would have travelled as Athlone is only 90 miles from Dundalk.

Sligo would also have been a suitable choice for both clubs and would have got a large crowd.

Sligo is less than 105 miles from Dundalk, travelling through the north. Instead Turners Cross ended up being the venue.

It ensured that only around 80 Dundalk supporters could travel. Only a couple of hundred Galway supporters attended.

Galway would have got good gate receipts had they decided to look at Athlone or Sligo. Why they chose a stadium that is 213 miles away from Dundalk, made no sense.

They lost a good away attendance and also good home support. Instead of a crowd of only 450 people. They could have got an attendance of 2.500.

The League of Ireland side lost a considerable amount of home revenue instead of opting for the venues mentioned. Dundalk had no problem going to Cork.

They let the football do the talking in Turners Cross. And they came away with the precious three points. Dundalk put in a stunning performance last Friday.

They controlled the game for long periods. But Galway also looked dangerous throughout the game. Daryl Horgan was once again a star.

A lot of the chances that Dundalk created came down the left-hand side. Eoin Kenny was in sparkling form. He seems to be getting better by the week.

He caused Galway endless problems. Eoin was very unlucky not to get on the score sheet. Tyreke Wilson was also another standout performer.

Playing as a wing-back, he caused Galway huge headaches. Ciaran Kilduff found a gem of a player.

Having been released by Bohemians at the end of last season, Tyreke has shown himself to be one of the best signings in the League. He has scored key goals this season.

Tyreke is a creator. He is an excellent defender when he has to be. He is a gifted winger as well and a proven goal scorer.

He has won a number of key games for Dundalk at key times, similarly to the way he played on Friday. The defence was very strong.

Enda Minogue had a good game and did what he had to do. This was except in a Galway attack in the second half, he never moved for a cross.

Other Dundalk defenders were sleeping as well. But it was a goalkeeper's ball. Enda remained stuck to his goal line.

Luckily, the Galway strikers were also asleep and wasted a golden chance. But Enda Minogue was very self-assured. His confidence is growing by the week.

He must just watch the crosses. Declan McDaid was very impressive as a wing-back. He got himself into a number of key goal-scoring positions.

He should have scored. The three centre-backs were formidable. Rob Cornwall was top class and contributed to the ring of steel, which the three centre halves were able to install around the Dundalk defence.

Bobby Burns was so good yet again. He defended so well and yet also was always on the hunt looking for a goal. JR Wilson stood out.

JR came in the window last season. His signing was a key reason why Dundalk got promotion last season.

He is a key reason why Dundalk are challenging for a possible European place this season. JR was involved in so much on Friday.

He was the key that kept the Galway attack at bay. I remember when Ciaran Kilduff signed Ronan Teahan in pre-season.

He told me he had found a footballer who was highly talented and who had a great future. How right he was. Ronan can cut open midfield, defences and score as well.

When he is on song, he is spectacular. He has a special talent. On Friday night, Ronan dug deep from midfield when he had to. His pace is so good.

He also gives great support for the forward line and to the defence. Aodh Dervin was in the engine room of the Dundalk midfield as well.

He was all over the pitch and covered every blade of grass. He thwarted Galway when they were on the attack. He was a rock in midfield.

He created opportunities for Dundalk I from defence. He was outstanding.Ronan Teahan was on the bench for the last game.

He took his advantage, starting so well, getting the opportunity to start in Cork on Friday. Shane Tracey was on the bench for the Galway game.

Dundalk were hit by an injury sustained by their star striker, Gbemi Arubi. He was left on the bench, but was never involved in the game.

Danny Mullen returned to the side after being out with an injury for some time. On Friday night, he slowly grew into the game. He needs time.

He missed a number of opportunities. But he has the instinct of being a good striker. I agree with the manager that Danny is a top-class striker.

He will start to bang in the goals and soon. Gbemi's absence was a massive blow for Dundalk.

He would have put away a number of the many chances that Dundalk created, had he been playing.

He was injured while playing for the Republic of Ireland under-21 team during the break. Tracey replaced Mullen on 72 minutes.

Keith Buckley replaced McDaid on 76 minute. Harry Groome replaced Daryl Horgan on 93 minutes.

Ratings. I think Dundalk were excellent, and it was an excellent three points collected ratings. They are out of 10.

Enda Minogue 7. Bobby Burns 8. JRWilson 9. Daryl Horgan 9. Aodh Dervin 8. Ronan Teehan 8. Eoin Kenny 10. Danny Mullen 7. Tyreke Wilson 10. Rob Cornwall 8.

Declan McDaid 7. JR Wilson 9. Subs Played Shane Tracey 6. Keith Buckley 6. Harry Groome not on long enough. Mayowa is still out with a hamstring injury.

It had been expected he would be returning on Friday.So Galway lost at home, a long way away from their own home on Friday night.

The Dundalk team's journey home was a happy one. Galway's return home from Cork must have been awful. Dundalk started the game brightly.

There were claims for a penalty waved away early on when Daryl Horgan went down in the box, when it looked as if Arthur Parker had taken him down in the box.

But the referee's decision was spot on. Looking back at the reviews and seeing it at first hand, I never thought it was a penalty.

Dundalk's domination of the game in the first 20 minutes was awesome.

Minutes after the claim for the penalty, Eoin Kenny had a blistering shot saved by Evan Watts in the Galway goal. But Galway gradually grew into the game.

Ed McCarthy came close to scoring just before the break with a stinging shot that was narrowly over.

Dundalk came close eight minutes into the second half when Eoin Kenny's cross saw Killian Brouder accidentally nearly turn the ball into his own net.

Danny Mullen had a great chance to open the scoring for Dundalk. He had an open goal in front of him. The striker headed wide.

Dundalk had heroes to a man in both halves and created so many chances. The goal that brought them the points came a minute into injury time.

Dundalk were mounting one of their final attacks of the game. The ball came to Eoin Kenny in the Galway box. Looking up, he saw Tyreke Wilson free just outside the box.

Wilson met the ball on the turn. As his left boot met the ball, you just knew a goal was going to be the outcome.

The ball nearly burst the Galway net, and the celebrations began. Minutes earlier, Ronan nearly won it for Dundalk when his shot came off the Galway post.

But Ciaran Kilduff will not be happy that his side nearly threw the game away two minutes later.

Jimmy Keohane was only yards out from goal when the ball came to him. He failed to connect properly with the ball. It should have been a

leveller for the Galway men. Instead, it was an awful miss. Dundalk won it and were deserved winners.

They remain in fourth place on 32 points. A win over Bohemians at Dalymount on Friday would see Dundalk join the Phibsboro men joint third from the top.

Bohemians do have a much better goal difference. Ciaran Kilduff acknowledged that Dundalk had plenty of opportunities to win the game.

But he felt that the incident in the first half when Dundalk claimed Daryl Horgan a penalty was one. He said his side had been denied a penalty that was not given.

But I never thought it was not a penalty. I wonder what Ciaran think's of the incident now. Ciaran Kilduff is confident that Gbemi Arubi will be fit for the Bohemians game.

He says he should be fit early this week. The Dundalk boss admitted if he had been anywhere near fitness on Friday, he would have been used late in the game.

But he accepted that he could not have been used, and they knew that as Friday approached.

Ciaran Kilduff says that he was very happy with Danny Mullen's performance. He says that Danny was returning from a long injury spell..

He accepted that the former Derry striker did have chances. But Kilduff says that once he keeps getting chances, the goals will come.

The manager felt that the break had been very beneficial to his players. He says the players were all freshened up and raring to go for the Galway game.

He gave his backroom staff huge praise for the preparation they put in with the players for Friday's game. Galway are a good side.

They have a lot of very experienced players. Dundalk had to be at their best to get the victory. They will trouble a lot of the top sides in the remaining fixtures in the league.

They are in the bottom half of the table, though. And they must start winning soon. They are slowly being pulled into the relegation mire.

Bellurgan man Conor McCormack belies his age. I thought he played very well for Galway. He was replaced after 62 minutes.

Conor moved with manager John Caulfield from Cork to Galway. He continues to play, but he also has a coaching role at Galway.

Conor gives everything for whoever he is playing against. He is an Aodh Dervin-type player. He is a man of steel in the engine room of midfield.

He may have drawn the ire of some of the Dundalk players in their battle with him. I was not happy with one of his tackles on Daryl Horgan.

It was a physical challenge. He did hold his hand out to Daryl to apologise. But Daryl was in no humour to respond.

It was a reckless challenge that could have been serious had Conor connected with Daryl in the tackle.

Conor was a student at the Bush Post Primary school, where he sat his Leaving Cert. My next-door neighbour, Michael Mathews, taught Conor maths.

He keeps contact with him regularly. Michael is now retired quite a while. He is a massive Dundalk supporter and goes to Oriel most Fridays.

At the weekend, he spoke to me about how much respect he had for his former student. He is very proud that Conor has done so well in sport.

It's amazing, Conor has an equal amount of respect for Michael for the help he gave him in education. Michael was Conor's maths teacher.

He also took sports. I am sure Conor got a lot of the interest he has in sport from Michael. He had a strong passion for GAA. But he loves soccer as well.

Michael always has a very positive outlook on life. Daryl Horgan won the SSE Airtricity Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month Award for May.

It was well deserved. I am lucky to be able to vote for the player of the month award. It was great to see Daryl get the award.

He is a magnificent ambassador for the League of Ireland. Daryl is a superb player on f the pitch. In May, he wrote all the headlines with each game he played.

He inspired his teammates. He has defied Father time. He seems and looks younger than he was when he signed for Stephen Kenny and Dundalk for the first time so many years ago.

He also seems fitter than the young Daryl of so many years ago. Daryl has been a leader for Dundalk this year. He has great leadership skills.

He motivates his players and communicates with them as well with them. I am sure that is a leader both on and off the pitch. Daryl is training for his coaching badge.

He says he is happy playing at the moment. But that's down the line; he wants to manage one day. I would really hope that he stays at Oriel.

But that may not happen as the present boss is irreplaceable. But so many clubs are waiting to pounce on Ciaran to get him to join them.

Who knows, there may be a vacancy sooner rather than later. Daryl could step into Ciaran's shoes should he ever leave Oriel and join another club.

Leinster Senior League side St Mochtas have agreed to play their FAI cup game against Dundalk at Oriel. The game was scheduled to be held at St Mochtas ground.

The Dublin club see the advantage of getting much a much bigger attendance at Oriel. Thus, it will be a big payday for the Leinster Senior League side.

I am amazed that Mochtas gave away home advantage. This game was mentioned as one that had the potential of being a potential huge giant-killing event.

At any rate, they will get a good payday for having the game at Oriel. However, in cup games, the gates are split equally between both clubs. The FAI also get a percentage.

In League games, the home teams keep the money collected from the attendance. I think it's great that Mochtas have ceded home advantage.

It gives Dundalk a great chance to advance to the last 16. They have been knocked out of the First Round of the cup for the past two years in a row.

Last season, Sligo Rovers beat them by a single goal at Oriel. One final matter. I have rightly criticised referees for some terrible performances in games during the season.

Well, I thought Kevin O'Sullivan was the best referee I have seen this season.

I give him ten out of ten for refereeing a difficult game, between Dundalk and Galway, considering the tensions there had to have been between the players, with all the issues that went with the location of the game.

Ken O'Sullivan was top class. He allowed the game to flow freely. And that's what should happen in every game.

Incidentally, there were a few minor incidents and an exchange of words between some players from Dundalk and Galway at the end of the game.

It's thought it had to do with the frustration Galway felt giving away a late goal and the tensions over the location of the game.

It was a weekend of late winners for both Dundalk and the Louth GAA team. I am thrilled that they are into the last eight in the All-Ireland.

They have as good a chance as anybody at this stage. Their late goal on the buzzer beat the All-Ireland Champions of 2024, Armagh.

Dundalk, of course, got their three points with the goal from Tyreke Wilson.

Have a great week. Take care of yourselves. And please be careful out there.