Determined Dundalk hold champions Shamrock Rovers on opening night
STALEMATE: Aaron Greene, right, and Sean Kavanagh of Shamrock Rovers after the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Reigning four-in-a-row Champions Shamrock Rovers kicked off their pursuit of a drive for five with a come-from-behind draw against a new look Dundalk side that look to have recruited well in the off-season.
A bumper crowd of 7,610 were on hand to watch a highly entertaining clash in which super-sub Aaron Greene rescued a point in a dominant Rovers performance, despite his side going in behind at the break thanks to the impressive James Gullan wonder strike.
The Lilywhites, with 11 new faces in the door at Oriel Park, faced one of the toughest locations to learn on the job as they made the trip to South Dublin and showed tremendous resilience to earn their first point of the new season.
Having dominated the opening period, the home side were dealt a massive blow when the desperately unlucky Neil Farrugia landed awkwardly on his shoulder following a powerful, striding run down the right wing, eventually requiring a stretcher to help him off the field.
The disruption seemed to benefit the away side when minutes later debutant Jamie Gullan put his side ahead with a stunning free-kick. Sean Hoare brought down Horgan in a dangerous position, 25-yards out slightly left to the goal and the former Raith Rovers man did the rest, whipping the ball over the wall past Pohls despite getting a hand to it.
The home side responded well, with the relentless Rory Gaffney causing problems with his clever runs in behind the Dundalk defence, but former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper George Shelvey remained relatively untested as the half wore on.
Stephen Bradley was cursing his luck when on the stroke of half-time Farrugia’s replacement, Trevor Clarke, was then forced off in innocuous circumstances, pulling up with what looked like an ankle injury just 18 minutes after his introduction.
Just minutes after the restart some inside Tallaght thought they had levelled when last week's man-of-the-match Conan Noonan clipped in a delightful free kick from the end line but Josh Honohan failed to hit the target with his downward header.
Just before the hour mark ex-St. Patrick’s Athletic attacker Darragh Burns missed a huge chance to open his account when Sean Kavanagh picked him out from the left, and completely unmarked, just eight yards out got his header all wrong and missed the target.
The visitors went straight down the other end with Horgan standing up a back post cross to Ryan O’Kane who was unlucky to see his header bounce off the post and to safety.
The pressure from the home side finally told, when half-time substitute Aaron Greene made a clever, darting run in the box to nod home yet another delightful Noonan delivery to send the home fans wild.
With time running out, it was all Shamrock Rovers who tried desperately to grab the winner and went close through Sean Hoare’s soaring header - that flew narrowly past the top corner. But to their credit the resilient visitors defended resolutely, with Shelvey looking particularly assured in goal for Dundalk.
Leon Pohls; Josh Honohan, Sean Hoare, Dan Clear; Neil Farrugia (Trevor Clarke, 30’ (Darragh Nugent, 45+8’), Markus Poom (Aaron Greene, 45’), Gary O’Neill, Conan Noonan (Dylan Watts, 61’), Sean Kavanagh; Darragh Burns, Rory Gaffney.
Lee Steacy, Lee Grace, Cian Barrett, John O’Sullivan, Cian Dillon.
George Shelvey; Archie Davis, Andy Boyle, Mayowa Animasahun, Zak Bradshaw (Paul Doyle, 69’), Jamie Walker; Daryl Horgan (Samuel Durrant, 76’), Scott High, Robbie Benson (Robbie Mahon, 83’), Ryan O’Kane (Hayden Muller, 83’); Jamie Gullan (Cameron Elliott, 69’).
Ross Munro, Louie Annesley, Zak Johnson, Ciaran McGuckin.
Rob Hennessy.
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