Robbie Benson breathes life into title race with late strike to down Shamrock Rovers

Robbie Benson of Dundalk scores his side's goal. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Dundalk 1 Shamrock Rovers 0 

On the night they paraded world champion boxer Amy Broadhurst at Oriel Park it was Robbie Benson who delivered a late knock-out blow for Dundalk against Shamrock Rovers to breath life into the SSE Airtricity League title race.

The 30-year-old popped up 10 minutes from the end to steer a stunning cross from Lewis Macari into the net to close the gap at the top of the table to just five points with Stephen O’Donnell’s side still having a game in hand over the league leaders.

It was Benson’s 12th career goal against the Hoops and his first league goal for Dundalk at Oriel Park since scoring in the 3-2 victory over the Tallaght men in 2019 which secured the Louth men’s last league title.

The result was no more than the Lilywhites deserved having dominated possession against a Rovers side who more often than not took the route one approach without the guile of Jack Byrne and Graham Burke.

Stephen Bradley’s side - who finished the game with 10 men after Ronan Finn’s late dismissal - will still be hot favourites for the league title despite this setback but this result ensures they won’t hang on to it without a fight.

It was the home side who were first to threaten with Patrick Hoban heading just wide from Steven Bradley’s inswinging free from the left on six minutes.

Danny Mandroiu and Richie Towell then both had acrobatic efforts off target for Rovers at the other end before Andy Boyle heading agonisingly wide after getting on the end of another Bradley free kick on 20 minutes.

Rory Gaffney then conjured up the first and only shot on target of the half six minutes later when he picked up Darragh Leahy’s headed clearance at the edge of the box only to see his effort go straight into the arms of Nathan Shepperd despite a deflection off Paul Doyle.

Gaffney would go close again for Rovers within two minutes of the restart when he fired into the side-netting but it was largely the home side pushing for a breakthrough after that with Paul Doyle having a number of long range efforts and Daniel Kelly seeing an effort headed clear by Sean Hoare.

Then came the breakthrough on 80 minutes. Hoban did superbly well to control Sam Bone’s pass on his chest before holding off Roberto Lopes to work the ball out to the right to Macari. The on-loan Stoke City youngster then delivered a superb ball into the box which the inrushing Benson met with a left-foot volley to send Oriel Park into raptures.

Things then went from bad to worse for the Hoops three minutes later when captain Finn was sent-off for a second bookable offence following a high challenge on Leahy.

Dundalk: Shepperd; Macari, Connolly, Boyle, Leahy; Sloggett, Benson, Doyle (Bone 76); Bradley (Adams 85), Hoban (Martin 85), Kelly.

Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Hoare, Lopes, Grace; Finn, O’Neill, Towell, Kavanagh; Watts (McCann 65), Gaffney (Greene 81), Mandroiu.

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).