Former Dundalk players included in squad for FIFPro Tournament in Oslo

Tiarnan Mulvenna is on the look out for a new club after being released by Dundalk at the end of last season

A number of former Dundalk players have been named in Liam O’Brien’s 17 man squad for the FIFPro Tournament 2014, which will take place on Thursday at the Vallhall Arena in Oslo, Norway.

The four-team tournament for out of contract players will be made up of teams from Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Finland and this is the fourth year that the tournament has been played.

The squad travelled to Oslo this afternoon having been training in the AUL since the start of December.

Amongst the former Dundalk players involved are John Sullivan, Tiarnan Mulvenna and Garreth Brady, who were all released by Stephen Kenny at the end of last season.

Also involved are former Lilywhite Stefan McKevitt and Mark Griffin, who was released by Derry City recently having made the switch from Oriel Park to the Brandywell at the start of last season.

Yesterday the side took on Leinster Senior League outfit Cherry Orchard in a challenge match and won 5-1, with two goals each from Muirhevnamor men Griffin and Mulvenna and a further strike from Don Cowan, who was released by Stevenage Borough.

The squad in full is as follows:

• Gabi Sava (Drogheda United)
• Peter Higgins (Waterford United)
• Conor Powell (Shamrock Rovers)
• Daire Doyle (Bray Wanderers)
• John Sullivan (Dundalk)
• Glenn Cronin (Shelbourne)
• Don Cowan (Stevenage Borough, England)
• Robert Bayly (Shelbourne)
• Dean Kelly (Shelbourne)
• Mark Griffin (Derry City)
• Sean Russell (UCD)
• Daniel O’Reilly (unattached)
• Tiarnan Mulvenna (Dundalk)
• Garreth Brady (Dundalk)
• Gary Dunphy (Waterford United)
• Keith Quinn (Longford Town)
• Stefan McKevitt (unattached)

Dundalk quartet train with Irish senior team

Kurtis Byrne was one of four Dundalk players invited to train with the Irish senior team today

Four members of the Dundalk FC square have been invited to train with the Ireland senior squad today.

Noel King called up the quartet of Richie Towell, Andy Boyle, Kurtis Byrne and John Sullivan to assist with 11 v 11 tactical sessions in the build-up to Ireland’s World Cup qualifier away to Germany on Friday night and at home to Kazakhstan next Tuesday.

The four Lilywhites players were given permission by manager Stephen Kenny to join the Irish training session in Malahide, where they were joined by Shamrock Rovers’ David Elebert.

Dundalk put themselves firmly in title race with win over Pat’s

Kurtis Byrne celebrates his equaliser for Dundalk last night

Dundalk 2

St Patrick’s Athletic 1

Dundalk FC put themselves firmly into contention to challenge for the Airtricity League Premier Division title at Oriel Park last night as John Sullivan’s goal seven minutes from time saw them inflict a first defeat in 15 matches on league leaders St Patrick’s Athletic.

It was the Lilywhites who last beat Liam Buckley’s side at Richmond Park back in early April and this result means that they are now just six points behind the Inchicore outfit with a game in hand.

A key turning point in the game came on 35 minutes when recently named SWAI Player of the Month for May, Killian Brennan, was shown a straight red card for a two footed lunge on Darren Meenan.

Despite that setback, it was Pat’s who took the lead on the hour mark with Christy Fagan applying the easiest of finishes after Greg Bolger’s cross was palmed invitingly into his path by Peter Cherrie.

The lead lasted just 10 minutes, however, with Kurtis Byrne levelling matters with a cool finish after twisting Ger O’Brien inside out inside the box.

It looked like Pat’s had rescued a point for themselves when goalkeeper Brendan Clarke saved a poor penalty from Byrne on 75 minutes after Shane McFaul had needlessly fouled Keith Ward in the area.

However, the 27-year-old goalkeeper went from hero to villain in the 83^rd minute when he spilled right back Sullivan’s low cross into the net at his near post to gift Stephen Kenny’s side a first home win over Pat’s since 1998.

The only downside to a great night at Oriel was a potentially serious cruciate injury to Ward and that a St Pat’s fan left the ground via an ambulance having suffered a fall in the stand.

Dundalk: Cherrie; Sullivan, Rossiter, Boyle, Massey; Meenan,Dillon (Ward, 56 mins), Towell, McDonnell (Mulvenna, 67 mins), Byrne; Hoban (Faherty, 79 mins). Subs not used: Osborne, Shields, O’Connor, Shanahan.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Clarke; O’Brien, Browne, Kenna, Bermingham; Forrester, Bolger, Brennan, McFaul (Russell, 77 mins), Byrne (Price, 85 mins); Fagan (Flood, 82 mins). Subs not used: Carroll, Kelly, Maher, Ryan.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).

ATT: 1,802

What a Corker

Dundalk FC beat Cork City 2-0 on Friday night but the basis for the win came in the 76th minute when John Mountney latched onto a John Sullivan through to rifle a left foot shot to the top corner of the net.

The good folks over at Balls.ie were so impressed with the former Mervue United man’s strike that they put the goal into GIF format.

It certainly whets the appetite for Friday night when Stephen Kenny’s side will make the trip to the Carlisle Grounds to face Bray Wanderers.

Previously: Off the mark at last

Source: Balls.ie

Off the mark at last

John Hoban heads home Dundalk’s second

LATE goals from John Mountney and John Hoban proved crucial as Dundalk seen off Cork City 2-0 at Oriel Park last night to claim their first home win of the campaign.

Stephen Kenny’s side have started the season in impressive fashion but a run of form that has seen them climb to fourth in the table has largely been built on their away form, with three draws and two defeats all they had to show for their efforts at home.

Having dominated the game and overcome the setback of having a legitimate Richie Towell goal ruled wrongly out for offside in the first half, the home side finally made the breakthrough in the 76^th minute.

A quick throw by John Sullivan was latched on to by Mountney, whose left footed strike flew into the top corner of the net.

The Louth men then made sure of the win in the 90^th minute when substitute Hoban headed home after Cork failed to clear a Keith Ward free kick.