Captain John Mountney knows his injury-time winner against title-chasing Shamrock Rovers will be “a massive boost for everyone around the club”, after the most eventful of weeks ended with an explosion of joy at Oriel Park on Friday night.
Bottom-of-the-table Dundalk were without their first-choice midfield through injury and suspension, with stand-in manager Liam Burns deciding to play a back three, as Zak Bradshaw reverted to the centre of the park and Mountney was asked to play left wingback.
Along with availability issues, the team had an interrupted preparation for the game after the departures of Head of Football Operations Brian Gartland and first-team manager Noel King earlier in the week.
17 May 2024; John Mountney of Dundalk celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
However, despite all that, and then a 30-minute delay to kick-off after the Rovers kitman and some of their players who travelled by car were late to the stadium, Dundalk and Mountney conjured up a 91st-minute winner which caused pandemonium.
The victory, only their second of the season, lifted them to within three points of neighbours Drogheda United in ninth as they closed the gap on Sligo Rovers and safety to six points, and another clean-sheet now sees Dundalk approaching 600 minutes without conceding a goal at home.
Mountney has made a massive difference to the team since returning from a long-term injury at the end of March, and the five-time league winner hopes these three points can lift the “doom and gloom” that has engulfed the club since the difficult Louth Derby defeat on the May Bank Holiday Monday.
17 May 2024; John Mountney of Dundalk celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
“That’s the best way to do it,” Mountney told dundalkfc.com, having wanted to give supporters something to cheer about. “There has been a lot going on the last week, but we wanted to show what we’re about as players and as a group, and I think we did that tonight.
“We had to dig deep. You see in any game in this league, you always have a chance to go and win it, and there’s no better way to win it than in the last minute at home against Rovers.”
On the winner…
“We didn’t get many chances in the second half to break forward so it was just one of those ones, get it in the box. We didn’t get many chances to do that. Luckily, it falls in the right place.”
17 May 2024; John Mountney of Dundalk celebrates after the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
On six clean-sheets in a row at home…
“We said it before the game, we do have good characters in this group, and we need to show that. Every match, just show up, show that side, show that fight, show that doggedness that you need in the league, and we have quality players that will create chances and score goals.
“We have full belief now and that’s massive for the group. For the fans, it was all doom and gloom with everyone the last week. I think that’s a massive boost for everyone around the club and hopefully we can build on that now next Friday.”
17 May 2024; John Mountney of Dundalk celebrates after the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
On closing the gap on the teams above them…
“There’s nothing between any of the teams this year. You just need to get as many wins as you can and get points on the board, it’s as simple as that. We have Galway away now next week, obviously the last time we went down there it wasn’t a good memory.
“We know what we have to do down there this year, and more than ever you need to have a fighting mentality. We’ll get ourselves ready. We’ll enjoy that win tonight because there’s been few of them, but we’ll get ourselves right and we’ll go again.”
On a tough couple of years personally…
“We love playing football, we do it for a living, we make a living off it but we do it because we love it. When you’re injured, you’re just motivated to get back on the pitch, to play in front of crowds.
“That’s what it’s all about, that’s the highs of it, when you come back, your home crowd, and you score a goal to win the game. That’s what it’s all for, isn’t it.”
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