Sport

Dundalk finally get off the mark after tense finish

Dundalk 2 UCD 1: DUNDALK picked up their first win of the season but had to endure a tense finish at Oriel Park last night.

Sat Mar 24 2012 - 00:00

Dundalk 2 UCD 1:DUNDALK picked up their first win of the season but had to endure a tense finish at Oriel Park last night.

Goals from Chris Shields and Shane O’Neill put Seán McCaffrey’s men in the ascendency but a penalty by Graham Rusk on 67 minutes left the home side biting their nails until the full-time whistle.

Dundalk named 16-year-old Ben McLaughlin in their starting XI, the full back a grandson of League of Ireland manager Jim McLaughlin.

McCaffrey’s men were first to threaten when Stephen McDonnell’s clipped effort beat goalkeeper Mark McGinley but kissed the crossbar and Michael Rafter’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Ciarán Nangle.

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The home side went ahead in the 51st minute when Nathan Murphy’s wicked free-kick was powered home by captain Shields. They doubled their tally four minutes later. The ball found its way to the back post and O’Neill looped a header over McGinley.

UCD were back in the game when referee Phil Caschera adjudged Nathan Murphy to have taken down Rusk in the penalty area. The striker picked himself up to tuck the spot kick away.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; McLaughlin (Byrne 71), Foran, Burns, Murphy; Walsh, Shields, Mountney, McDonnell (Cunningham HT); Rafter, O'Neill (Reilly 65).

UCD: McGinley; Ledwith, Nangle, O'Connor, Kavanagh, Corry (Douglas 84), O'Conor, McCabe (Langtry 62), Benson (Morrison 62), Rusk, Mulhall.

Referee:Phil Caschera (Dublin).