No Emirates fairytale but no London mauling for Dundalk
Brian Gartland of Dundalk in action against Eddie Nketiah, right, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal. Picture: Matt Impey/Sportsfile
Winning is not always everything in sport and this was one of those rare nights when the occasion meant more than the outcome.
Few outside Dundalk's players and staff felt they could go to Arsenal, even against their second string, and get a positive result. Instead, this was all about pride and a chance to make some positive memories at the end of a difficult year.
Dundalk kitman Noel Walsh, accompanied by his son Darragh, set the tone long before kick-off when he quietly placed a T-shirt in the team dugout in memory of the club's former groundsman and videographer Harry Taaffe.
Town fans will be familiar with the shirt depicting Taaffe in happier times, before his July death. Never let it be said again football is more important than life.
Arsenal won comfortably, of course they did, but Dundalk's 80th game in Europe was still a mark of what the League of Ireland club has achieved since that match against FC Zurich in 1963, let alone their remarkable escape from the brink of financial extinction in 2012.
So, it was impossible not to spare a thought for the club's supporters when Chris Shields led them into a pristine Arsenal stadium to only the piped Europa League anthem and a shuffling of feet from the 100 or so watching media and club officials.
Over to Shields and his team-mates' right was an enormous 'Black Lives Matter' banner, covering the seats, where they might otherwise have expected to see and hear 6,000 fanatical supporters urging them to unprecedented heights.
As it was, the players were able to rely on their own resources of effort, ability and the tactics of novice manager Filippo Giovagnoli. The Italian, a surprise figure on the touchline after it had been said he would be kept in the stands due to his lack of a Uefa Pro coaching licence, set his side up with two banks of four players forming an almost impenetrable block against which Arsenal took over half an hour before they managed a shot on goal.
Giovagnoli said afterwards: “We tried to press them and I think we did well against a team with fantastic quality. I want to congratulate my team and the way they collaborated defensively and kept their focus.”
Before then Patrick McEleney had worried Arsenal debutant keeper Runar Runarsson with a fizzing shot from distance, but aside from that it was largely a damage limitation exercise.
That is not to patronise the League of Ireland side in any way for they were not overly stretched by an Arsenal side that struggled to find a way through their well-organised formation.
There was always the sense Arsenal would wear them down and possibly score from a free-kick or penalty, but it ultimately took an error from hugely respected keeper Gary Rogers to gift Mikel Arteta's side a lead three minutes before half-time.
The 39-year-old came for a corner but punched the air and the ball fell kindly for Eddie Nketiah to turn into the net from close range.
Rogers had little chance to make amends when Joe Willock doubled Arsenal's lead only two minutes later. Willock, Arsenal's best player on the night, took advantage of a rebound from Nicolas Pepe's blocked shot and half volleyed the ball into the roof of the net.
It marked Arsenal's 16th shot of a dominant end to the first half in which Dundalk only folded at the very end.
Greg Sloggett came on for Sean Murray for the restart, but it had no impact on the match before Pepe cracked in Arsenal's third in the 48th minute.
It was a peach of a strike from the edge of the box from Arsenal's record signing, but did not prompt the flurry of further goals many here expected. Arsenal did not ease up and pressed for more, but Dundalk stood firm with Rogers making a notable save from Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Arteta refreshed his side with a number of substitutions ahead of Sunday's testing trip to Manchester United, but the most significant for followers of Arsenal was highly-rated young striker Folarin Balogun who had little time to make an impact.
Arteta had made ten changes to his side that lost in Premier League action against Leicester on Sunday and will probably make a similar amount for United this weekend.
A trip to St Patrick's Athletic is next up for Dundalk and a match they will desperately want something from to stand a chance of emulating this European adventure next season.
And they will probably have to do it without McEleney, who came off injured. Giovagnoli added: “He felt something in his groin but we will see what happens and see if he needs a couple of weeks or what. We do not know yet. He is a super important player who can change a game in seconds with his quality.
“I made a lot of substitutions because we have a lot of games and Sunday is our priority. Now we have to rest and see what is best to do.”
Runarsson, Mustafi (Ceballos 61), Xhaka (Tierney 74) Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Soares, Elneny, Nelson, Willock, Pepe (Willian 62), Nketiah (Balogun 74).
Rogers, Gartland, Boyle, Cleary (Hoare 53), Mountney, Murray (Sloggett 45), Shields (Gannon 62), McEleney (Flores 53), Dummigan, Duffy (Colovic 70) Hoban.
Filip Glova (Slovakia)
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