St Patrick’s Athletic 0
Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park
Dundalk delivered a strong performance in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division on Easter Monday, securing a 2-0 victory over league leaders St Patrick’s Athletic at Oriel Park. The Lilywhites, who remain within the top four, are now just three points behind the leaders and continue their impressive run with two first-half goals from Tyreke Wilson and Shane Tracey. Despite a late red card for Daryl Horgan, Dundalk maintained their momentum and claimed a well-deserved win.
First Half Highlights
The match began with St Pats creating the first chance within the first five minutes. James Brown sent in a low cross that evaded the Dundalk defense, reaching Max Mata, but Enda Minogue made a quick save to deny him.
Dundalk responded swiftly, and Oriel Park was soon buzzing. A smooth interchange between Horgan and Gbemi Arubi allowed Wilson to score a stunning goal from outside the box, looping the ball over Joseph Anang.
Buoyed by the opener, Dundalk pressed forward. Horgan nearly added a second with a shot that narrowly missed the target after a clever move from Arubi. Their second goal came in the 21st minute when Horgan’s cross was parried by Anang, allowing Shane Tracey to calmly finish his first League of Ireland goal—just two days after turning 20.
St Pats’ Efforts
Despite being behind, St Pats showed resilience. Minogue saved a Barry Baggley free-kick and denied Luke Turner from the resulting corner. Baggley later headed wide, while Jason McClelland missed a close-range opportunity after creating space.
Dundalk nearly extended their lead before halftime when Anang saved Horgan’s shot with his feet following a pass from Eoin Kenny.
Second Half and Red Card
In the second half, Dundalk controlled the game effectively, limiting St Pats to few chances. Substitute Ryan Edmondson missed their best opportunity shortly after the restart, shooting wide despite being in a good position.
Rather than playing defensively, Dundalk continued to pose a threat. Arubi was denied by Anang late in the game, and from the resulting corner, Horgan received a second yellow card for time-wasting, leaving Dundalk with 10 men.
Final Moments
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Dundalk remained composed. They saw out the game comfortably, with only a few blocked efforts in the closing minutes. The victory moves them within three points of the league leaders.
Lineups
Dundalk: Enda Minogue; Tyreke Wilson, Harvey Warren, Conor O’Keeffe (Mayowa Animasahun 56), Sean Spaight (JR Wilson HT); Aodh Dervin, Bobby Burns (Keith Buckley HT); Eoin Kenny (Declan McDaid 72), Shane Tracey (Harry Groome 56), Daryl Horgan; Gbemi Arubi.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Joe Redmond, Sean Hoare (Glory Nzingo 76), Luke Turner; James Brown, Darragh Nugent (Jamie Lennon HT), Barry Baggley, Jason McClelland; Kian Leavy (Chris Forrester 76); Aidan Keena (Romal Palmer 17) (Ryan Edmondson 44), Max Mata.
Referee: Aaron O’Dowd
