Soccer

Finn hat-trick sees Dundalk ease past Longford

It was a dominant performance from the champions at the City Calling Stadium

Dundalk’s Ronan Finn Photograph: Inpho/Morgan Treacy
Dundalk’s Ronan Finn Photograph: Inpho/Morgan Treacy
Sat Apr 09 2016 - 22:38

Longford Town 0 Dundalk 4

Ronan Finn scored a hat-trick as champions Dundalk eased back to the top of the Premier Division table on goal difference with a comfortable win over bottom-of-the-table Longford at City Calling Stadium.

Dominant from the start, Dundalk’s Daryl Horgan, Finn and Ciaran Kilduff all had openings before their pressure told on 11 minutes.

Sean Gannon’s run into the area was abruptly ended by Kaleem Simon’s clumsy challenge to concede a penalty. Finn stepped up to score emphatically from the spot.

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Dundalk should have scored again three minutes later. A poor defensive header put David McMillan through with Paul Skinner rushing off his line to save with his feet.

The frame of their goal then saved Longford twice inside a minute. Horgan was first up to see his free kick cannon back off Skinner’s left-hand upright.

Darren Meenan then cut in from the right to crack a shot off the same post.

The one-sided nature of the game continued with a second Dundalk goal duly arriving on 23 minutes when Brian Gartland powered his header to the net from Meenan’s corner for what was Dundalk 1,000th Premier Division goal.

Longford had their first clear chance two minutes into the second half, but David O’Sullivan shot straight at Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers from Josh O’Hanlon’s lay off.

Dundalk were soon back into their stride with Noel Haverty having to make a tenacious block tackle on McMillan from Gartland’s through ball.

Meenan then threaded Kilduff in on goal with Skinner doing well to make the save.

Midfielder Finn added the third goal on 78 minutes, side-footing home after incisive approach play on the left from Horgan and McMillan.

The hat-trick arrived nine minutes later when Finn blasted the ball to the roof of the net after Horgan’s shot was cleared off the line by O’Hanlon.

Longford Town: Skinner; Hughes, Haverty, Flynn, O'Reilly; McGlynn (Chambers, 82), Gannon (McKeown, 76), O'Connor, Simon; O'Sullivan (Cowan, 70), O'Hanlon.

Dundalk: Rogers; Gannon, Gartland, Boyle, Massey; Meenan, Finn, O'Donnell (Barrett, 80), Horgan; Kilduff (Mountney, 70), McMillan (O'Connor, 83).

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).