Jon Daly says Dundalk’s narrow defeat by league leaders Shelbourne was “a sore one to take” with the manager disappointed that his team “didn’t show enough” when the game was scoreless, as attentions now turn to a huge night against Sligo Rovers.
John Martin came back to haunt his old club with a 71st-minute tap-in as Shelbourne held onto their two-point lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table with a 1-0 win, in the process sending Dundalk back to the bottom after only a four-day break from that position.
Despite their contrasting fortunes this season, there was little between the teams at Tolka Park. However, ultimately, Will Jarvis, who missed the one clear opening of the first half, created a match-winning moment with a burst past Archie Davies before supplying the assist for Martin.
7 June 2024; John Martin of Shelbourne scores his side’s first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Dundalk now have one game remaining before the midseason break, as Thursday nights return to Oriel Park with the visit of Sligo – the last opposing team to score on the Carrick Road over three months ago – in a clash that could see the Lilywhites close the gap to them to six points.
That game was very much in Daly’s mind after his side’s loss in Dublin, which was a frustrating one for the manager in his fourth match in charge.
7 June 2024; Dundalk manager Jon Daly before the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Daly on the result…
“It is disappointing. I thought we defended relatively well in the first half, we didn’t really give up many opportunities. We had a little change of shape at half-time and I thought we offered more ourselves then going forward, which was pleasing.
“But ultimately, we couldn’t get that clear-cut chance to go and get that equaliser. When they scored, they obviously just dropped off and sat off then and allowed us to get into the game.
“That, for me, was probably the biggest disappointment – that we didn’t show enough at 0-0 to try to play through them and to try to play into the spaces that they gave up. It’s a sore one to take but we need to dust ourselves down and focus now on Sligo, and try to get three points in that game.”
7 June 2024; Dundalk players walk the pitch before the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
On the change at half-time – Benson in for Animasahun…
“There was a little bit of concern around Mayowa, but I think he’s okay. We were having conversations on the bench anyway about the change of shape. It was obviously then made kind of easy for us when there was a little bit of concern. I don’t think there’s any issue.
“We’ve come here and set up in a certain way, a little bit different to what we have been doing. We felt we could cause them problems with the two off Jamie (Gullan).
“I felt we were probably a little bit, not negative, but we dropped off a little bit too much in the first half with our attacking players. It allowed them to have easier possession than I wanted. It then became difficult when we won the ball back to get ourselves up in support to Jamie. That was why we then made that change.”
7 June 2024; Mark Coyle of Shelbourne leads his side out before the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
On so little between the teams in the league…
“Shels are top of the league and flying high and, as I’ve said, they didn’t create an awful lot. They were ruthless with the one chance that they really had in the second half. They had one in the first half, they probably should have done better, past the post.
“For the goal, Jarvis shows his quality and gets down the line. It’s a situation that we probably should do better defensively with and one that we’ll look at and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Then he has the quality to pick out the pass for the simplest of tasks to put it in the net.”
7 June 2024; John O’Sullivan of Shelbourne in action against Eoin Kenny of Dundalk during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
On Eoin Kenny…
“He’s a good player, he has done well. He trains really well when he’s in. He’s on his Leaving Cert at the moment, so we haven’t seen him for the last number of days. He’s just turned up today and went on the bench.
“It was pleasing for him to come on and have the impact that he did. I thought he did the same at Pat’s when he came on. He worked extremely hard. He’s a tireless worker up front for the team and it’s great to see him getting opportunities. With a bit of luck, he can stick one of those in the back of the net for us soon enough.”
7 June 2024; Jamie Gullan of Dundalk in action against Mark Coyle of Shelbourne during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
On the injuries to Jamie Gullan and Ross Munro…
“Jamie’s looks like it’s his glute. I don’t know how bad it is. He took a bang on the hip as well, so I don’t know if it’s related to that maybe. We’ll look at that and see how it settles over the next couple of days.
“Ross, before the game, had a little issue with his quad so we had made the decision to start him and then he felt it in the warm-up. That’s why I named two goalkeepers on the bench, just pre-empting that he may have to come off at some stage. It was disappointing to lose him.
7 June 2024; Dundalk goalkeeper Sean Molloy during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
“But I thought Seán Molloy did fine when he went in. He didn’t have an awful lot to do in terms of shot-stopping or making saves, but he was very good with his distribution and his kicking was good. He commanded his box relatively well.
“It was pleasing for him to play. It was obviously disappointing for him to concede a goal, it would have been nice for him to get a clean-sheet and it probably would have been a deserved one because there wasn’t an awful lot in the game.”
