Dundalk 2-1 Shamrock Rovers
Their highlights reel doesn’t amount to much but Dundalk’s best performances this season have come against Shamrock Rovers.
And having brought an end to the champions’ record-breaking 33-game unbeaten run, they showed signs of life here to suggest an upturn in fortunes may be on the cards.
Those who follow the club closely won’t get too carried away just yet as their stuttering year has been laced with one disappointment after another.
One step forward has often become two steps back.
Fan fury is simmering and close to 200 Dundalk supporters protested against the club’s American owners outside the ground before kick-off.
This timely win - courtesy of Patrick McEleney and Daniel Kelly - will appease them somewhat and give their next manager reason to believe that all is not lost.
Vinny Perth, who left the Lilywhites last August, is the latest name to be linked with the Oriel Park hot-seat in what would be a sensational return.
“Jimmy's Winning Matches” was mischievously belted out on the tannoy on full-time. Whether it was a nod to Jim McGuinness - who remains in the frame - or Jim Magilton is anyone's guess.
The Hoops can have no complaints about slipping to a first league defeat since losing here back in September 2019.
Aaron Greene and Graham Burke both had chances to snatch the lead before Kelly’s goal on the hour settled a keenly fought contest.
In a see-saw clash, Dundalk took the lead against the run of play after 11 minutes.
From a Rovers corner, the hosts broke at speed and Kelly fed the marauding McEleney who was galloping through the centre.
Try as he might, Roberto Lopes couldn’t get close enough to the Dundalk star who scooped home past Alan Mannus.
But the Lilywhites got no time to savour their lead as they gift-wrapped an equaliser to the league leaders.
And not for the first time this season, goalkeeper Alessio Abibi didn’t cover himself in glory in what is fast becoming a crisis between the posts.
Scales dinked a ball into the box which Abibi flapped at under pressure from Lopes, and Chris Shields was left scrambling to clear the ball off the line.
But the skipper, who shouldn’t have been left in that position in the first place, couldn’t sort his feet out amid a frantic scramble and Joey O’Brien turned the ball home.
It was tit-for-tat thereafter.
Raivis Jurkovskis was signed to replace Sean Gannon at Dundalk this season but Gannon caused him all sorts of bother on his Oriel Park return.
Yet clear cut opportunities were hard to come by for the visitors and Michael Duffy went closest to another goal, only for Mannus to thwart him at the back post.
But Rovers should have been out of sight in the second-half before Kelly put Dundalk back in front.
Greene’s angled lob on Abibi bounced up and hit the crossbar before Burke smashed the upright with a curling effort on the edge of the area.
And they certainly rued those misses when the hosts snatched the lead back on 59 minutes.
McEleney latched onto Mandroiu’s weak pass out from defence and teed up Kelly to beat Mannus with an angled drive from 10 yards.
Ole Midtskogen should have sealed matters late on but shot straight at Mannus while Dundalk were looking through their fingers late on when Greene shaved the post.
But Jimmy’s Winning Matches alright. Jim Magilton that is. For now, anyway.
DUNDALK: Abibi 5; Dummigan 6, Shields 6, Boyle 6, Jurkovskis 6 ; McEleney 8, Stanton 6 (Sloggett 78, 5), Zahibo 6, Duffy 7; Kelly 8 (Midtskogen 75, 5), McMillan 6.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus 6; O’Brien 6, Lopes 7, Grace 6; Gannon 7, Burke 7 (Williams 86, 5), O’Neill 6, Mandroiu 6, Scales 7; Greene 6, Gaffney 6.
Referee: R Harvey
