Celje 3
Dundalk 0
DUNDALK ARE OUT of the Champions League qualifiers, undone by profligacy and glaring defensive errors in defeat to Slovenian champions Celje tonight.
In a game held in Budapest for reasons relating to travel restrictions, Dundalk missed a string of chances and undermined an improved performance with individual mistakes that ends their Champions League campaign at the first hurdle.
Celje took a first-half lead through dreadful defensive hesitancy from Dundalk. Brian Gartland chose to lean into Luka Kerin rather than intercept a through-ball, and although Kerin fell to the ground, he prodded the ball forward and saw tamely roll beyond Gary Rogers.
NK Celje 1-0 Dundalk
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 19, 2020
A Dundalk defensive mix-up allows Luka Kerin to get in around the back, and despite being on the ground, manages to flick the ball past Gary Rogers to give Celje the lead just before half-time #rtesoccer https://t.co/LWBhOJgavr pic.twitter.com/myjensyVqb
Prior to that goal, Gartland grazed the crossbar with a header from a Stevan Colovic corner, while Michael Duffy headed a terrific Sean Gannon cross straight at the Celje goalkeeper.
Duffy was utterly dominant down Dundalk’s left wing, and thus most of his side’s second-half attacks came through him. He drove a shot narrowly wide of the far post while Darragh Leahy should have done better than pull a shot tamely wide when some neat Dundalk inter-play carved him some space in the penalty area.
At the other end, Rogers somewhat atoned for his error on the goal by blocking a deflection off Gartland from point-blank range.
Dundalk came agonisingly close to their equaliser seven minutes from the end. Michael Duffy’s free kick hit the wall and looped unpredictably into the air, which Pat Hoban judged and flicked forward with his back to goal, Javier Hernandez-style, only to turn around and see the ball bounce back off the post.
That miss was as close as Dundalk could get, and Celje sealed the game minutes later.
Sean Hoare played a loose pass across the pitch which was intercepted and fed to Vizinger, who tapped the ball into an empty net.
Worse was to come deep into injury time, as Dangubic steered the ball home from close range as Rogers failed to hold onto a free-kick from range.
This performance improvement on Dundalk’s poor league form, but that is of little solace on a chastening night.
Dundalk drop into the Europa League qualifiers, while Celje progress to a meeting with Molde in the next round.
