Dundalk's trip to Donegal could prove to be pivotal come the end of the season. One of the most over used phrases in football is that successful teams ‘win games they are expected to’, Dundalk FC would be ‘expected’ to win this Friday but if the ear
Dundalk's trip to Donegal could prove to be pivotal come the end of the season.
One of the most over used phrases in football is that successful teams ‘win games they are expected to’, Dundalk FC would be ‘expected’ to win this Friday but if the early results in this season of the SSE Airtricity League have shown Ollie Horgan’s men are in this and wont go down without a fight.
Close calls for Cork City and Shamrock Rovers this season have proven that Finn Harps are able to mix it with the big boys of the league and they have picked up valuable points against St Patricks Athletic and Sligo Rovers, in fact not many teams score three against Bray and yet remain on a losing side.
With the growing list of injuries and walking wounded amongst the Dundalk FC team you could be forgiven if Harps won’t look for a famous scalp this weekend. It really is a case for Dundalk that they need to keep winning if they are to keep in touch with Cork City and hope they slip against an emotionally raw but very talented Derry City side.
Three points this weekend for either could prove to pivotal and vital come the end of this season, despite being so early in the season every point is important for both teams.
Stephen Kenny has always been a man who focuses on his team only and reiterated that message to the media last week. Ollie Horgan however will have his sights firmly set on his fellow Donegal counterpart.
Finn Harps will be without the precociously talented Ciaran O’Connor will not be available this weekend so they will have to rely on the ‘Derry Pele’ Paddy McCourt for their creative output. Dundalk will have Ciaran Kilduff returning from suspension, but the return of goalscoring form of David McMillan has pleased many fans. The former UCD man seems like he is starting right where he left off, even with a disrupted pre season.
When Dundalk fans look back on this season come November they will hope it will not be the case of ‘Remember that game in Ballybofey’ as the reason the title slipped from their grasp. Despite being only three points worse off than they were this time last year, they cannot afford to slip up again. Finn Harp’s fans however if the Donegal charges were to win would see this as a vital step towards survival from relegation.
This is a dog fight at the weekend for different reasons and both sides will want the full share of the spoils.
Ciaran Callan
