Dundalk 2 CS Grevenmacher 1 DUNDALK will travel to Bulgaria next week to face Levski Sofia after booking their place in the Europa League Second Qualifying Round with a wonderful first-half display against CS Grevenmacher at Oriel Park last night.
The tie may have been evenly balanced at 3-3 coming into the game but it was as good as over after 16 minutes as Ian Foster’s side completely dismantled their opponents from Luxembourg in the early stages of the game.
Playing their first European tie at Oriel Park in 19 years, the Lilywhites settled any potential nerves by hitting the front in the fifth minute. Tiarnan Mulvenna knocked the ball down for Fahrudin Kuduzovic. The Bosnian attempted to turn for goal but found himself on the end of a bodycheck by Khalid Benichou.
Icelandic referee Magnus Thorrison had no hesitation pointing to the penalty spot and Neale Fenn sent Marc Pleiming the wrong way from 12-yards.
Before the game Grevenmacher manager Marc Thome singled out Kuduzovic as Dundalk’s danger man and the Bosnian certainly lived up to his billing. Kuduzovic rattled the post in the second minute, won the penalty in the fifth and doubled the home side’s lead in the 16th.
It came from an error by Khalid Benichou. The big centre back gave the ball away needlessly on the edge of his box. Fenn picked it up and created a yard of space with some delightful skill and Kuduzovic was on hand to sweep the ball home from close range.
Foster’s side dominated the remainder of the first half. Alan Cawley hit the outside of the post after a flick from Fenn and Ross Gaynor also cracked the upright just after the half-hour mark.
Grevenmacher offered very little to suggest a way back into things. Sebastien Hartung blazed wide, while Samir Louadj fired off target with their best chance of the half in the 34th minute.
They improved in the second-half, with Adrien Baur seeing an effort hacked off the line by Garry Breen but Dundalk continued to open them up at will, with Kuduzovic, Stephen Maher and Ross Gaynor all spurning opportunities of a third goal.
Grevemacher hit a late consolation through Christian Muller but it wasn’t enough to stop Dundalk progressing to the second round of a European competition for the first time since 1981.
DUNDALK:Gregg; Kelly, Miller, G Breen, Hatswell; Mulvenna (McGowan, 71 mins), Cawley, Maher (McDonnell, 76 mins), Gaynor; Kuduzovic (J Breen, 89 mins), Fenn.
CS GREVENMACHER:Pleiming; Gaspar (Brzyski, 72 mins), Heinz, Benichou (Lorig, 45 mins), Hoffman; Baur, Furst, Hartung, Mendes (Almeida, 61 mins); Muller, Louadj.
Referee:Magnus Thorrison (Iceland).
Dundalk win 5-4 on aggregate
