STEPHEN KENNY’S FRUSTRATION was there for all to see after he watched his Dundalk team go down 2-0 to Legia Warsaw in Dublin tonight.
Despite looking the better side for spells of the Champions League play-off first leg at Lansdowne Road, the Louth club were undone by a cruel penalty decision added to be a goal in injury-time.
On the Andy Boyle handball which led to Legia’s spot-kick, Kenny was in no doubt that it should never have been awarded.
“I’m angry,” he blasted in his post-match press conference. “It’s just a really appalling decision. I’ve viewed the game back on the screen and the shot is going wide. Gary Rogers has it covered and there is no threat that it is going to end up in the back of the net.
“Andy Boyle has thrown himself at it to try block it, being the brave defender that he is. I’ve had referees in to discuss handballs with the rest of the players.
His hand isn’t in an unnatural position. His arm is close to his body so it’s certainly not a penalty.
“With the importance of this game and the ramifications, to give a penalty like that is hugely disappointing and hard to believe. It’s a really poor decision.”
Kenny was generally pleased with how his players had acquitted themselves on the night — singling out Daryl Horgan and Patrick McEleney for praise.
“There wasn’t a lot of clear-cut chances in the game,” he added. “I was very happy with our attacking. Daryl and Patrick were very influential in the final third and some of their individual play was simply brilliant.
“So I was very happy with that side of things. I thought we passed the ball brilliantly.
We had some reasonable chances but Legia defended well and we missed the target with one or two.”
Without their suspended captain Stephen O’Donnell, Dundalk must now head to Warsaw’s Stadion Wojska Polskiego and overturn tonight’s result if they are to progress tot the group stage.
“We’re presented with a real mountain to climb but it’s still only half-time,” said Kenny. “We will go there with every intention of putting in a strong performance away from home and giving it a real go.”
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