DUNDALK v MOLDE FK THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22ND 2020 KICK-OFF 5.55PM
OFFICIAL DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE | ISSUE 9 | €5
COMMUNITY
JUNIOR REPORTER
Sophie Neary
E
arlier this summer, our community partners at Dundalk Credit Union launched a competition to find a Junior Sports Correspondent to cover Dundalk FC. The winner of the competition was Sophie Neary who recorded a brilliant video of her commentating and interviewing
Jordan Flores following his wonder strike against Cork City at Oriel Park earlier this season. Part of Sophie’s prize will see her record a Zoom interview with her favourite Lilywhites player, Patrick Hoban, in the days leading up to our UEFA Europa League Group B game with Arsenal in London on October 29th. 14
Sophie also recorded a brilliant video match report of our scoreless draw with Bohemians at Oriel Park on Sunday last which is available to view on our social media channels as well as providing this written report for the club website. Well done Sophie, you have a big career in sports journalism ahead!!
DUNDALK FC 0-0 BOHEMIANS | report by sophie neary Dundalk went into this game after a 2-0 win over Cork City the previous Tuesday. Filippo Giovagnoli made three changes with Gartland, Sloggett and Daniel Kelly coming into the starting 11. The game began with Dundalk scoring with a shot from Patrick Hoban only for it to be ruled out for offside. Cameron Dummingan then had a shot saved by Talbot in the Bohs goal. Bohs no.10 Keith Ward then tried to chip Rogers but luckily for the Dundalk keeper, it flew over the bar. Hoban was fouled on the edge of the box after 30 minutes and Duffy hit the Bohs wall with a free-kick. The first half ended with Andre Wright heading over from a corner kick for Bohs. This brought an uneventful first half to a close. The second half began the same as the first with neither team really threatening to score.
Dundalk made a sub in the 51st minute with Nathan Oduwa coming on for Daniel Kelly. Michael Duffy then shot across the goal after getting a pass from Hoban. McEleney was booked for a foul in the 57th minute and was then replaced by Sean Murray. Patrick Hoban then missed a couple of chances to put the home side in front, both headers, supplied by Duffy. Unfortunately for Oduwa he got injured and was replaced by Colovic. Dummigan again tried from distance but this time it flew past the post. The game finished with Dummingan getting a yellow card for blocking the Bohs winger from getting past him. Both teams settled for a draw with Dundalk now travelling to Derry on Monday, with Molde the first visitors to Tallaght on Thursday for the UEFA Europa League Group B game.
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PLAYER PROFILES
MOLDE FK
Meet The Coach:
ERLING MOE
(DOB: July 22, 1970).
The former Kristiansund manager was appointed as caretaker boss of Molde for the second time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left for Manchester United and, after overseeing the largest winning margin of any of Molde’s four domestic titles, he is now secure in his head coach role. Has stopped short of calling the gap to champions Bodo/ Glimt an “embarrassment” but has promised that Molde will be much closer to them in 2021 and has also commended the league winners on their achievements.
1 ANDREAS LINDE
2 MARTIN BJORNBAK
Bio: Goalkeeper, SWE, 27 ......................................... Former Helsingborg shotstopper who left his native Sweden for Molde in 2015, the same year that he was a squad player for his national team as they won the Under-21 European Championship on penalties in the final against Portugal. Spent a large tranche of the title season out with a knee injury that required surgery but whilst sidelined, received a boost with a contract extension that keeps him at the club until the end of 2021. Was the hero in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round penalty shootout win over Qarabag, saving in sudden death to take Molde through. ..........................................
Bio: Defender, NOR, 28 ......................................... Central defender hailing from just south of the Arctic Circle who has had two spells with the recently crowned champions Bodo/ Glimt (including one as captain), who he left to join Molde in 2019. Has put his injury spells behind him and now back at the heart of the Molde back line. ..........................................
3 BIRK RISA
6 STIAN RODE GREGERSEN
Bio: Defender, NOR, 22 ......................................... Norway’s Under-21 international captain and left-back took a step up recently when putting pen to paper on a switch from domestic rivals Odd on transfer deadline day. Molde CEO Ole Erik Stavrum said that he had been a player “long in the binoculars of the club” and was recruited when loan player John Kitolano – on loan from Wolves – wanted to go back to his native region and swapped to go back to Odd. An unused substitute at the weekend.
Bio: Defender, NOR, 25 ................................ .......... According to a team-mate’s post on Instagram recently, the central defender took over Ruben Gabrielsen’s changing room locker when the latter left Molde for Toulouse in the summer. Gabrielsen had left a note there with a list of his honours (2 league titles and 1 domestic cup win) as a light-hearted motivation! Gregersen has been with Molde for eight years but has struggled to nail down regular places down the years and has spent time out on loan, most latterly with Swedish outfit Elfsborg. ..........................................
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Last Molde team: (4-2 win v Bodo/Glimt) | 4-2-3-1 Linde Holmgren Pedersen (Knudtzon 82) – Gregersen – Bjørnbak – Haugen Aursnes – Hussain Hestad – Eikrem (Capt; Ellingsen 75) – Bolly (Brynhildsen 63) Omoijuanfo 22
PLAYER PROFILES
MOLDE FK
7 MAGNUS WOLFF EIKREM Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 30 ........................................
Attacking midfielder and club captain was presented with the club’s player of the year award in 2019, some seven years after receiving the accolade for the first time. Molde-born, he was whisked away to Manchester United as a teenager having attended an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer training academy and was brought back by his mentor when he became Molde boss for the first time in 2011. Left in 2013 for Dutch side Heerenveen and made it back via stints in the UK (Cardiff City), Sweden (Malmö) and the USA (Seattle Sounders). Was on the mark twice at the weekend as Molde repeated last year’s 4-2 scoreline over champions Bodo/Glimt.
16 ETZAZ HUSSAIN
17 FREDRIK AURSNES
Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 27 ......................................... Holding midfielder was another one to leave his homeland to learn his craft with Manchester United at the age of 16, an experience that he described as one that no youngster should ever pass up. Having played under Solskjaer in the Red Devils’ Reserves, he was reunited with his old boss at the start of this decade, via Valerenga and Frederikstad and is now in his second spell at the club, with stints in Croatia and Turkey in between. ..........................................
Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 24 ......................................... Holding midfielder who has acquired experience beyond his years having broken through to the first team of Hodd as a teenager and becoming the youngest player to receive a winner’s medal in the Norwegian Cup before his 17th birthday. Joined Molde in 2016 and can already boast more than 100 appearances for the club. ..........................................
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19 EIRIK HESTAD
27 MARCUS HOLMGREN PEDERSEN 28 KRISTOFFER HAUGEN
Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 25 ........................................ Attacking midfielder who has been with Molde throughout his career and won the Player of the Year Award in 2018. Speculation in Italy linked him strongly to a move to Lecce in the summer but those reports added that the penalty shootout success over Qarabag complicated the picture and forced the Giallorossi director Pantaleo Corvino to explore other options. On the scoresheet at the weekend against Bodo/Glimt. ..........................................
Bio: Defender, NOR, 20 ........................................ Right-back represented Norway at the Under-19 European Championship finals in Armenia in 2019, when he was still a Tromso player, switching to Molde at the start of this season. ..........................................
30 MATHIS BOLLY
99 OHI OMOIJUANFO
Bio: Forward, CIV, 29 ........................................ Born in Norway but has represented Ivory Coast on five occasions at senior international level. Had five years in Germany with spells at Fortuna Düsseldorf and the second-tier Bavarians Greuther Fürth in between his Norwegian stints at Lillestrom and now, Molde, whom he joined in 2019. More often than not, starts on the left side of the three players providing for the lone striker. ..........................................
Bio: Forward, NOR, 26 ........................................ Born to a Nigerian father and a Norwegian mother and has represented Norway at various age groups before making his only international appearance as a substitute in a friendly against Sweden three years ago. Broke through to the Lillestrom first team as a teenager and was already on the scoresheet for them before his 17th birthday, setting a then-record for youngest scorer in the domestic championship. Is in the second of a three-year term with Molde after joining in 2019 from Stabaek and ended his recent goalscoring drought by putting the side 2-1 ahead against Bodo/Glimt at the weekend. ..........................................
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Bio: Defender, NOR, 26 ......................................... Long-time servant of Stavanger-based Viking, Haugen joined Molde in 2018 and became an instant regular in the side, signing a contract extension in the summer that keeps him with the blue-and-whites until the end of 2022. Cool head against Qarabag, converting a penalty in sudden death to set up the win. ..........................................
A furious Mickey Collins is escorted off the pitch by Dundalk goalkeeper Chris Bennion and physio Paul Cheshire after being sent off in the 2009 Malone Cup against Drogheda United
missed from the spot in the shootout. David Ward also featured, the Rock Celtic striker handed a short-term deal by Connor with a view to playing in the club’s reserve team. In retrospect, it was a game that set the scene for what was to come. A feisty affair almost boiled over when Collins was sent-off in the 40th minute following a clash with Drogheda’s Gavin Whelan. ‘Mental Mickey’ was so outraged by referee Paul Tuite’s decision that he had to be escorted from the field by Chris Bennion. “The referee spoiled the game in my eyes when he sent the two players off,” said Connor afterwards. “In that situation, my player came off the worst. I don’t understand how Michael Collins can be sent off when he has stud marks going from
the back of his knee up to the top of his thigh but I’ve come to expect things like that in this league.” There was also trouble off the pitch with the Dundalk bus
comparing the Louth Derby to an ‘Auld Firm’ fixture. “I don’t think a game like this should be played in pre-season because there’s too much rivalry between the clubs,” he said. “This wouldn’t happen THE IRISH INDEPENDENT WROTE anywhere else. It’s like Celtic playing Rangers in a preTHAT CONNOR WAS “ASSEMBLING season game – it wouldn’t A COLLECTION OF IRISH FOOTBALL’S happen. There’s too much MOST TEMPESTUOUS CHARACTERS” bite between the two sides.” BUT HE DID HIS BEST TO CIRCLE THE WAGONS. “THAT WOULD BE TYPICAL NATIONAL JOURNALISTIC GARBAGE,” HE SAID. “IT’S SOMEBODY TRYING TO STIR IT. THE PLAYERS I HAVE ARE CHARACTERS. THEY ARE COMBATIVE AND THEY WANT TO WIN. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SHIRK FROM SIGNING THOSE SORT OF PLAYERS BUT I CERTAINLY DON’T.” attacked as it left United Park. Connor was far from happy, 54
Abysmal
The final test before the league opener against Bohs came on Sunday, March 1st when Neil Lennon brought a second-string Celtic outfit to Oriel Park for Connor’s first game in front of the Lilywhites support and the first on the new surface. After giving as good as they got in the first half, Dundalk struggled badly in the second.
The main stand at Oriel Park was packed for the visit of Celtic in 2009
Celtic arrived with a host of youngsters in their line-up. The most notable names on display were former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Donati and ex-Derry City winger Niall McGinn. Paddy McCourt, another former Brandywell favourite, made the trip but didn’t take part because of an injury. Dundalk started well and O’Callaghan rattled the frame of the post with a header before the Hoops took the lead in the 38th minute when Ben Hutchinson got in behind the Lilywhites back four and capitalised on a mistake by Bennion to roll the ball into an empty net. The goal failed to derail Connor’s men and they got the equaliser their direct play deserved right on the stroke of half time. The busy Declan O’Brien set Harpal Singh away on the left with a quick free-kick and his cross found O’Callaghan who popped up to seize control of the situation and slot the ball home. The second half was a complete turnaround as Dundalk never really got into their stride and Michael Glinchey, a player that Connor tried to bring to Oriel Park, showed what might have been when he picked the ball up
outside the penalty area before sidestepping Thomas Heary to rifle the ball home. Liam Burns squandered two difficult chances to level the scores while substitute Dwight Barnett lost control of the ball with a clear run on goal in front of him. The Jamaican striker then headed wide from a Michael Daly cross in the 83rd minute. It encapsulated his short stay at the club. Celtic put the result beyond doubt in the latter stages. Ryan Conroy was given too much room on the right and he used the opportunity to deliver a
Celtic’s Niall McGinn holds off Dundalk’s George O’Callaghan in the pre-season game at Oriel Park in 2009
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pinpoint cross to the back post where Nicky Riley rose above trialist Jamie Tandy to head home. Asked if it had been a worthwhile exercise, Connor snapped back. “In a word, no,” he said. “The first half was useful to us but the second half was abysmal. The second and third goals were poor ones to give away. Everything was bad about the second 45 minutes. Our tempo, our passing, our work rate, our commitment; it all let us down. “We’re not as close to being ready as I thought we were,” he
EXTRA TIME
THE SPECTATOR The 28,345 capacity Weststadion in Vienna where Dundalk will play on November 5th
of the joys of global football is its ability to bring people and communities together, even if these matches are to be played behind closed doors for the most part. Through the sixties
would have had of Hungarians, Dutchmen, Yugoslavs and Portuguese would have been through the prism of European football at Oriel Park. Today cheap international travel has propelled Dundalk folk from Ridleys and McManuses to the likes of Iceland, Cyprus THROUGH THE SIXTIES AND and Belarus. SEVENTIES, THE ONLY GLIMPSE 2020 has certainly THE GOOD PEOPLE OF DUNDALK been an eventful season WOULD HAVE HAD OF HUNGARIANS, of European football for DUTCHMEN, YUGOSLAVS AND Dundalk, global pandemics PORTUGUESE WOULD HAVE BEEN notwithstanding. The THROUGH THE PRISM OF EUROPEAN geographical boundaries were further pushed back FOOTBALL AT ORIEL PARK. TODAY as Dundalk embarked on CHEAP INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HAS maiden voyages to Andorra PROPELLED DUNDALK FOLK FROM and Moldova, there was an RIDLEYS AND MCMANUSES TO THE abortive trip to Slovenia LIKES OF ICELAND, CYPRUS AND which was rerouted to one BELARUS. of our regular European destinations, Budapest, and and seventies, the we headed all the way to Dublin only glimpse the 4 to host Faroese opposition for good people of Dundalk the first time. There’s a first trip
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Molde is officially a city, but its population is just less than that of Dundalk, and it ranks 31st in Norway for population. For two modest municipalities on the periphery of Europe, the glory of European football brings excitement and cosmopolitan glamour to the communal doorstep. And so the likes of Dundalk, Molde, BATE and Qarabag can rub shoulders with the likes of Arsenal, PSV, Milan and Sevilla. It’s a bit of a cliche, but one
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ith the possible exception of a particularly underwhelming town twinning, it’s hard to imagine the provincial towns of Molde and Dundalk ever coming together, never mind in such a high profile way.
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Molde’s Etzaz Hussain in action during their UEFA Champions League playoff against Ferencvaros in Norway
to Austria in the offing too. Back to tonight’s Northern European tete-a-tete though. Molde is one of those cities that will always be inextricably linked to its football team, and disproportionately well known for it. The town of Dundalk shares that warm reflective glow of football glory. It’s one of the joys of football. In Ireland, it means that Sligo, Drogheda, Longford and Waterford have a weight and significance that is lacking in Ennis, Naas, Mullingar and Thurles. It means that in Dundalk we are familiar with the far-flung European towns of Molde, Hafnarfjordur, Varazdin, Barysaw, Trondheim, Tiraspol
and Alkmaar. It’s why European football will never be a dull or run-of-the-mill. Tonight’s clash of the champions of the 23rd and 37th ranked European countries may seem underwhelming to those whose football exposure is limited to televisual viewing of the Liverpools and Barcelonas of this world, but is full of nuance, romance and excitement for those of us truly invested in our clubs. For Dundalk, there’s the prospect of a trip to Romsdal in central Norway and the rather wonderful waterfront Aker Stadion. For Molde, there’s the exciting prospect of a trip to historic north Louth.... 69
sorry.... the magnificent Aviva Stadium.... apologies ..... what, Belfast? Really? ..... erm ok, Dublin 24 just across the road from the Square Shopping Centre. Anyway. Glamour is the word we’re looking for. And so, this crazy season gets a little crazier in the foothills of the Dublin mountains. We may have shed our league title and a quadruple winning manager over the course of a rollercoaster season, but it’s far from over. Before the season comes shuddering to a halt sometime in December there’s plenty of scope for glory and humiliation, joy and despair. Chances are we’ll squeeze oodles of each in.