In the Premier Division of Ireland’s League, Dundalk bested St Patrick’s Athletic by 3 goals to 2. This game marked Stephen Kenny’s first encounter with his former club, Dundalk, since he left in 2018. Kenny, the new manager at St Patrick’s Athletic, could not secure victory, but the day was not without winners in the Kenny household. Stephen’s 18-year-old son, Eoin, entered the match for the last quarter of an hour, playing for Dundalk.
At Richmond Park, Dundalk delivered their first away win this season, a much-needed boon after a challenging start sent them to the bottom of the league. They swiftly established a 3-0 lead early in the drama-filled first half. The victory saw Dundalk move away from the last spot for the first time in three months.
Meanwhile, Jon Daly, Dundalk’s manager, marked his return to Inchicore with a triumph, just weeks after being dismissed by St Patrick’s. The defeat – St Patrick’s third in their five most recent clashes – saw them slide to eighth position.
Daly’s team made a perfect start, scoring twice inside four minutes and extending their lead to 3-0 in under half an hour. A remarkable turnaround, considering Dundalk had only scored nine goals in 18 games this season. The opening goal, scored just two minutes into the game, came from a controversial foul by Jamie Lennon, St Patrick’s midfielder, on Dundalk’s Cameron Elliott.
Standout performer Jamie Gullan proved his worth once again with a superb free kick that left goalkeeper, Danny Rogers, with no chance. Shortly after, with Rogers still trying to regain composure after the first, Dundalk doubled their lead, courtesy of Ryan O’Kane. Despite Rogers’ best attempts, the ball snuck under the goalie, making the score 2-0.
Viewing a surprising turn of events, Dundalk supporters mockingly began to cheer on their once revered manager, as they saw their team extend their lead 22 minutes into the game.
Horgan once more showcased his agility on the right, slipping past Lennon to lay the ball for Mullan. The striker, positioned at the edge of the area, turned and guided the ball to his left foot before precisely sending a low shot past Rogers.
An eventful match proceeded swiftly with St Pat’s being handed a lifeline within the subsequent four minutes. A cross from Mulraney, following a focused run, found Luke Turner at the far end. Turner’s shot hit Horgan’s arm, resulting in a penalty. From 12 yards out, Chris Forrester did not miss, sending Ross Munro the wrong side.
The momentum of the game shifted when St Pat’s scored another goal eight minutes later from their initial corner of the night. Forrester’s pass was met by Cian Kavanagh whose header deflected off Elliott, falling perfectly for Lennon. The midfielder adeptly controlled the ball with his left foot before delivering a high-powered volley with his right foot, sending the ball to the back of the net.
Despite the fast-paced action of the initial half, the second half was uneventful as Dundalk endeavoured to maintain their lead while St Pat’s, despite their efforts in the later portion of the game, could not grasp a clear opportunity.
81 minutes into the game, Forrester spurred substitute Jay McClelland to the end line, only for no players to be in position to finish the crossing.
In contrast to the earlier part of the match, Dundalk could have bolstered their lead further. Rogers, atoning for his first half mistake, made the best save of the match from Gullan.
The squads were as follows:
St Patrick’s Athletic: McLaughlin, (B. Kavanagh, 59), Leavy, Lennon, Mulraney (McClelland, 78), Redmond, Turner (Nolan, 70), Keeley, Forrester, Melia, C. Kavanagh (Palmer, 59), Rogers.
Dundalk: Boyle, Johnson, Gullan (Animasahun, 84), Horgan, Davies, Doyle (Mountney, 63), Munro, Muller, O’Kane (Durrant, 63), Elliott (Kenny, 75), Bradshaw.
Officiator: Rob Hennessy from Clare.
The number of spectators was 3,934.
In another game, Derry City achieved a 3-0 victory against Waterford.