Much like the 174 local bus service in Dundalk you don’t see coming one for a long time and then all of a sudden two arrive. That was the case of Patrick McEleney on Friday night as he marked his 100th start for Dundalk FC with a brace of goals in a
Much like the 174 local bus service in Dundalk you don’t see coming one for a long time and then all of a sudden two arrive. That was the case of Patrick McEleney on Friday night as he marked his 100th start for Dundalk FC with a brace of goals in a 5-0 win over Finn Harps. It may not have been the highest-scoring match in the SSE Airtricity League on Friday but it sends a message that Dundalk is now focused on domestic matters.
The last time McEleney scored it was eighty days ago in the Aviva Stadium, his winner against Cork City in the FAI Cup Final marked his comeback to the club but he has had to wait eighty days for another goal. Something that had been on his mind.
“The goals have been a long time coming but the main thing has been getting the three points.”
“It sticks in your mind, to be honest, I’m not usually in this position I usually have a few goals now but it is what it is and I’ve been playing a bit deeper now too and changing position a bit too so I’ll just use that as an excuse at least!!”
Finn Harps came into this side with a rich vein of form and were looking to close the gap on Cork City. McEleney knew the visitors were on a high, especially after a win over rivals Derry City and the midfielder knew they had to be on form.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, they have been doing quite well. We were set up correctly I think we done the business.”
The next few weeks are a pivotal time for Dundalk as they play in the league, FAI and EA Sports Cup with the Semi-Final against an in-form Bohemians coming up on Monday night.
“We are playing now in every trophy in the next couple of weeks so we want to win everything so we will do our work right.”
“I think we slipped up last year, everybody knows that and it’s not usually like us we don’t usually do things like that so we will be looking to do the business now on Monday.”
McEleney’s goals tonight brought a goalscoring return to his game and he is hoping to show more in the coming weeks, players like McEleney thrive under confidence and he hopes to build on that.
“Probably just for a bit of confidence, I think I done alright when I came on the other night against Bratislava but there is a lot more to come from me and I hope I can do it.”
People on Foyleside still talk of May 1989 when Derry City became the first club to win a domestic treble. Led by former Dundalk manager Jim McLaughlin Derry City marched to the treble and this current crop of Dundalk players who have a massive Derry influence with Michael Duffy, Dean Jarvis and Patrick McEleney in their ranks hope to emulate their fellow city men.
“We obviously talk about the treble in the changing room and we will be looking to do it.”
“I think it did getaway last year we were in a great position to win everything we just had an off day and let it slip and hopefully we don’t do the same.”
