7th November
This was definitely a case of a point gained not two points lost. In a rainswept Ballybofey Dundalk came away with something that Pats and other teams before them didn't. A point. Dundalk sported a new signing from Sheffield. His surname is Capper but we haven't deciphered what his first name is.
Anyway, the new chap slotted into what looked like a 5-3-2 but as the game wore on it was apparent Dundalk were playing 4-4-2. Noel Melvin faces a spell on the sidelines after getting apendicitis. Our new signing slotted in alongside Mick Doohan at the back with Kevin Brady at left back . Campbell and Withnell were the Dundalk front two with Ward dropped. Thew, Doolin, McNulty and Crawley played in midfield. It was a bad night for playing football. There was no time for players to get their foot on the ball for more than 5 seconds before belting up the field, regardless of the fact that the strong wind meant it came straight back at you. There was chances in the first half. The unfit Withnell had a couple of chances and Declan Boyle had to make some last ditch tackles. However most of the action occured in the Dundalk goalmouth. Steve Williams flapped at a Mohan cross and Mulligan shot wide .When the same circumstances saw the ball come to Mulligan again it was Shane Reddish who saved the day with a sliding tackle. Capper had a quiet game. It was very slippery on the pitch and all the defenders were finding it hard but Doohan and Capper stood up well to the task.
Dundalk were with the wind in the second half but never really had any chances of note apart from another Withnell run. He could not get the telling shot in. Ward replaced Withnell but looked like he hadn't slept for weeks. Rest assured that he got this sleep during the 20 minutes he was on. Lee Thew had lost weight again and put in a good performance and Paul Doolin played credibly in midfield. David Crawley looked lost on the left wing but if Dundalk were looking for a win they would surely have brought Michael Harte into that position. Brady had an unspectacular game at left full while Campbell was once again 100% committed and 100% dirty after the game.
Harps had two major chances to win this game. The first was a shot from a Harps midfielder which Steve Williams saved brilliantly. Williams made some good saves at vital times but the driving wind saw him suffer from crosses, very unlike him. But the major chance came in the dying seconds. The ball came to James Mulligan on the right. It was two against one in box and his cross went over Dowling and fell to young sub Kevin McHugh. He paused, cut inside past the Dundalk defender, took it round Williams and shot it goalwards but houdini man Shane Reddish saved the day again.
If only for the short term this moves us off the bottom. This was a good organised performance. Realistically we never looked a threat going forward. Rather like Wayne McCullough against Hamed we can defend and resist the other team's best efforts but we do not have the knock out punch.The score on Thursday will be similar unless we can find that attacking weapon
Mick Doohan and Ray Campbell both deserve special mentions for good performances and Lee Thew is going a long way to block out the memory of his earlier performances in the Dundalk shirt. However, for the second match in a row it's Shane Reddish who gets my vote. Two goalsaving tackles and a competent performance swayed my vote, although Soupy sure came close