Shamrock Rovers 1
Dundalk 1
Dundalk win 4-3 on penalties
DUNDALK LIFTED THE first silverware of the new season with a penalty shoot-out win against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght in the President’s Cup, Roberto Lopes’ miss decisive after a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes.
Dundalk took the lead just before the break through defender Sonni Nattestad, though he was sent off on the hour mark for a foul on Graham Burke, at which Rovers had equalised through a bewitching Liam Scales goal. The game forwent extra-time to go directly to spot kicks, in which Graham Burke skied a penalty that would have won the game for Rovers, before Daragh Leahy held his nerve to convert before Lopes’ decisive miss.
With the stands still grimly bare because of the pandemic, this game raised the curtain on the 2021 season, showcasing new cast members and, delightfully, the old enmities of a genuine rivalry.
The week began with drama as to who, exactly, is the understudy at Dundalk, with Shane Keegan clearly taking the managerial role during the game: vocal at the edge of the technical area with Filippo Giovagnoli muted in the background.
Rovers manager Stephen Bradley had no interest in that particular story ahead of the game, though did describe Pat Hoban’s quibbling over the validity of Rovers’ title trim in last year’s shortened season as “insecure”, saying Rovers were “more in their heads than we realised.”
Of the new additions, Rovers’ settled the quickest. Stephen Bradley has consistently spoken of signing players to fit Rovers’ long-established system and they found that rhythm almost instantly. Chris McCann, an arrival from Atlanta in the MLS, skidded through a neat pass for Rory Gaffney, whose square pass was gathered by Dundalk ‘keeper Alessio Abibi before Sean Gannon could tap the ball into an empty net.
If McCann is a replacement for Aaron McEneff, then Danny Mandriou has arrived from Bohs to try and fit Jack Byrne’s capacious shoes. He took over corner-taking duties, and saw one sent crashing off the crossbar by Liam Scales’ header early in the first half. The ensuing goalmouth scramble forced the ball off the bar again – this time from two yards out – before Dundalk eventually cleared.
Dundalk – missing Michael Duffy, Sean Murray, and with Pat Hoban on the bench – took longer too find a rhythm. Latvian international Raivis Jurkovskis impressed at right wing-back, and his first-half cross-shot narrowly evaded Patrick McEleney at the back post in Dundalk’s first true chance.
Their goal arrived from another of their new signings: six-foot-six-inch Faroese centre-back Sonni Nattestad headed Patrick McEleney’s corner beyond Alan Mannus having evaded Joey O’Brien and Sean Hoare.
If the towering centre-back heading in from a corner is a predictable style of goal, Rovers’ equaliser two minutes after the break was anything but. Sean Gannon’s pinged a cross into the box for Liam Scales, who equalised with a trio of perfect touches. He controlled the ball with his first, then, with a picador’s sense of timing, goaded Jurkovskis into committing himself, before flicking it behind him and then volleying the ball into the corner.
What is ostensibly a pre-season game erupted to this rivalry’s seasonless edge on the hour mark. A Nattestad lunge on Graham Burke sparked a brouhaha among both sets of players, at the end of which Nattestad was shown a straight red card with Joey O’Brien booked. Stephen Bradley was also booked on the touchline.
McCann stabbed a pass through a forest of Dundalk bodies for Graham Burke, but his shot was batted away by Abibi. That was Rovers’ best sight of goal as Dundalk lined two banks of five and four players hardly 10 metres apart on the edge of their penalty area.
Dundalk held firm, and ultimately the game skipped extra time and went straight to penalties, in which Dundalk held their nerve. Rovers were the better side over 90 minutes, but Dundalk’s tenacity abides. It sets up a fascinating year.
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Sean Gannon; Roberto Lopes, Joey O’Brien, Liam Scales; Sean Hoare; Chris McCann, Ronan Finn (Dylan Watts, 76′;); Danny Mandriou (Aaron Greene, 64′), Graham Burke; Rory Gaffney
Dundalk: Alessio Abibi; Raivis Jurkovskis; Daniel Cleary, Andy Boyle, Sonni Nattestad; Darragh Leahy; Chris Shields (captain), Sam Stanton; Patrick McEleney (Greg Slogett, 65′;); Junior (Cameron Dummigan 81′), David McMillan (Pat Hoban, 50′;)
Referee: Damian MacGraith