Dundalk 2
Shelbourne 0
GOALS IN EITHER half from Daryl Horgan and Ciaran Kilduff were enough to secure Dundalk a safe passage into the third round of this year’s FAI Cup, as Stephen Kenny’s side embarked on their mission to retain the trophy with a 2-0 win over Shelbourne.
The winger struck just prior to the midway point of a lacklustre opening 45 minutes before the returning Kilduff added a spectacular second late on. Once the Lilywhites had taken the lead, the odds were firmly stacked in their favour against second-tier opponents.
Dundalk only conceded one goal in five matches en route to their dramatic cup triumph at the Aviva Stadium last season and now it’s been 470 minutes since they shipped an FAI Cup goal.
Shels are familiar cup opposition at this stage. This clash was the fourth cup encounter between the sides in just 13 months across FAI, EA Sports and Leinster Senior Cup competitions. Between these sides, it’s always a knockout, and it’s usually Dundalk delivering the blows.
The home side started brightly enough, but it wasn’t until Horgan’s 21st-minute opener that the game delivered its first moment of real quality. David McMillan controlled Ronan Finn’s pass and laid it off into Robbie Benson’s path. He turned on a sixpence and released Horgan down the left. Cutting in on his right foot, the winger delicately lifted the ball over a stranded Jack Brady and in.
In the second half, Benson went close with a rasping left-foot shot that went just wide of the post as Dundalk did all the pressing for a second. Ronan Finn went near too, as did Kilduff, who was a second-half substitute, returning just 32 days after fracturing a vertebrae in his back.
Five minutes from time, Kilduff did get his goal. From a Meenan corner, he acrobatically volleyed in from six yards out. It was a remarkable finish, all the more so given how speedily the striker has returned from what seemed like a serious injury just a month ago.
DUNDALK: Gabriel Sava, Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Paddy Barratt, Shane Grimes, Chris Shields, Robbie Benson (Georgie Poynton, 86), Darren Meenan, Ronan Finn, Daryl Horgan (Michael O’Connor, 89), David McMillan (Ciaran Kilduff, 72).
Subs Not Used: Gary Rogers, Anton Reilly, Eric Whelan, John Mountney.
SHELBOURNE: Jack Brady, Adam O’Connor, Conor Keeley, Aidan Collins (Cian Kavanagh, 84), Alan Kehoe, Robert O’Reilly, Daire Doyle (Sodiq Oguntola, 81), Lorcan Shannon (Carl Walshe, 72), Gavin Boyne, Jamie Doyle, James English.
Subs Not Used: Greg Murray, Ryan Robinson, Dylan Grimes, Dylan Kavanagh.
REFEREE: Robert Rogers (Dublin)
Other results:
Bohemians 2-0 Galway
UCD 4-3 Bray
Waterford United 0-2 Longford Town
Cork City 4-0 St Peter’s
Derry City 1-1 Drogheda United
Shamrock Rovers 4-0 Midleton
Firhouse 0-3 Wexford Youths
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