Aidan Russell Vargas capped off a perfect opening night for Ciarán Kilduff who led Dundalk to their first win since July in his first competitive match in charge as they brushed aside Malahide United 4-0 in the Leinster Senior Cup at Oriel Park on Friday.
Dundalk went into this Group B clash without a win in their previous 13 competitive outings, but the new-look Lilywhites were quickly into their stride with an 11th-minute opener as skipper Daryl Horgan latched onto vice-captain Aodh Dervin’s pass and finished confidently.
The hosts lost centre-half Seán McHale to injury shortly after, but they were never seriously troubled at the back throughout the match. They made it 2-0 before the break after Eoin Kenny and Leo Gaxha combined to set up Dean Ebbe for a goal on his first appearance for the club.
Dervin added a third early in the second half after more good work from Kenny. Muhammad Haris could well have had a hat-trick after coming off the bench, but he was somehow denied a goal, with fellow substitute Russell Vargas completing the scoring in injury-time as he struck in a rebound after his penalty was saved.
17 January 2025; Andy Paraschiv of Dundalk in action during the Leinster Senior Cup match between Dundalk and Malahide United at Oriel Park, Co Louth. Photo by Gerry Scully/Dundalk FC.
With goalkeeper Enda Minogue having suffered a facial injury in training during the week, 41-year-old stopper Peter Cherrie was called upon to start, while 17-year-old Andy Paraschiv was given the nod to partner Dervin in the middle of the park.
Dundalk opened the scoring on 11 minutes when Dervin sprayed a long pass into the path of Horgan who broke past James Hendricken down the left before coolly lobbing the ball over the advancing Brian Kane and into the far corner of the net.
Kilduff was forced into an early change when McHale went down with an injury in his own half past the quarter-hour mark. The defender, who is on loan from Saint Patrick’s Athletic, was replaced by 16-year-old Vinnie Leonard, who slotted in beside Mayowa Animasahun.
17 January 2025; Dean Ebbe celebrates with teammates Conor O’Keeffe, Eoin Kenny and Leo Gaxha after scoring in the Leinster Senior Cup match between Dundalk and Malahide United at Oriel Park, Co Louth. Photo by Gerry Scully/Dundalk FC.
On 23 minutes, Dundalk almost made it 2-0. Dervin raced down the right and whipped in a wicked cross for Kenny who, from a central position in the box, lifted the ball over the bar. Before the half-hour, Kenny was almost in again, but the ball was taken off his toe.
Following a stoppage in the game after an issue with the corner flag, Dundalk doubled their advantage seven minutes before half-time. Kenny held the ball up well and fed it out to the busy Gaxha on the right and his cross was fired home by Ebbe.
At the interval, Dundalk made a double change as Harry Groome and Gbemi Arubi came on in place of Paraschiv and Ebbe.
17 January 2025; Aodh Dervin of Dundalk celebrates with teammates Daryl Horgan and Eoin Kenny after scoring in the Leinster Senior Cup match between Dundalk and Malahide United at Oriel Park, Co Louth. Photo by Gerry Scully/Dundalk FC.
The Lilywhites made it 3-0 on 52 minutes when Kenny did well and laid the ball off with a perfect pass for Dervin to run onto, the midfielder scoring his first goal for the club with a calm finish through the legs of Kane.
Before the midway point of the second half, Haris was introduced in place of Kenny. And he could have scored almost immediately, after a ball over the top from Horgan was neatly headed down by Gaxha for the young striker whose shot was well saved by Kane.
Haris was then denied again in the 82nd minute as, after making space for a shot, the ball was cleared off the line. Two minutes later, Seán Keogh stood up a cross to the back post which Arubi knocked down for Haris, but his strike was pushed onto the post by Kane.
17 January 2025; Aidan Russell Vargas of Dundalk is congratulated by teammate Muhammad Haris after scoring in the Leinster Senior Cup match between Dundalk and Malahide United at Oriel Park, Co Louth. Photo by Gerry Scully/Dundalk FC.
As the game approached the 90-minute mark, Animasahun sent a pass forward from the halfway line which Russell Vargas attempted to get on the end of, but he was bundled over in the box. The youngster stepped up and saw his spot-kick saved but he was quickest to react and smashed in the rebound.
Dundalk now prepare for their second match in the competition on Monday night when Usher Celtic are the visitors to Oriel Park, kick-off 7.45pm.
DUNDALK FC: Peter Cherrie; Conor O’Keeffe, Mayowa Animasahun, Seán McHale (Vinnie Leonard 18), Seán Keogh; Aodh Dervin, Andy Paraschiv (Harry Groome HT); Daryl Horgan (C) (Aidan Russell Vargas 77), Eoin Kenny (Muhammad Haris 65), Leo Gaxha; Dean Ebbe (Gbemi Arubi HT). Subs not used: Sammy Safaei (GK), Seán Spaight.
MALAHIDE UNITED: Brian Kane; James Hendricken (Cormac Moussally HT), James Farrell, Gavin Murphy, Dylan Meade; Shane Day, Jordan Briggs (C) (Cormac Herlihy 86); Nathan Reilly, Alan O’Shaughnessy, Robbie Byrne (Darragh Vallely 83); Karl Sheppard. Subs not used: Charlie McGrath (GK), Eoghan Leahy, Jack Sherry, David Farrell.
REFEREE: David Dunne.
