"Dundalk actually had a realistic chance of getting out of this group"

Journalists Daniel McDonnell and Johnny Ward discussed Dundalk FC’s Europa League group stage matches so far and whether the League of Ireland club should have some regrets. 

The Lilywhites have not managed a win since qualifying for the Europa League group stages, losing 2-1 to Molde, 3-0 to Arsenal, and 4-3 to Rapid Wien.

Despite the disappointment of the losses, Ward and McDonnell believe that Dundalk were more than competitive in their matches against Molde and Rapid and could have won both of them.

“There definitely was [a missed opportunity against Rapid]; it was two-all with three minutes to go,” McDonnell said. “Any team in that situation would be disappointed if they lose. It was a mad game, actually.”

Aside from the Europa League losses, Dundalk have only won two of their last five League of Ireland matches, and are currently third on the table heading into the final matchday on Monday.

With past form in mind, McDonnell and Ward think that their performance against Rapid was uncharacteristically good.

“On form, Dundalk probably shouldn’t have been competing with Rapid Vienna,” McDonnell said.

“As much as Rapid have been disappointed in the Europa League, their domestic form has been really good, and the other Austrian teams have been doing really well in Europe.

“It was a pretty admirable performance from them to be honest.”

Greg Sloggett of Dundalk reacts after the UEFA Europa League Group B match between SK Rapid Wien and Dundalk at Allianz Stadion in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Vid Ponikvar/Sportsfile

Ward still has questions about manager Filippo Giovagnoli, however, and the team’s firm under him.

“This is a Dundalk team that really hasn’t been at it all season,” Ward said. “They have been so far below expectations, and at the moment they aren’t even guaranteed to finish in the European positions.

“They have been miles off it compared to their standards, and so they have come into the Europa League group stages with all these questions to answer.

“They have a manager who has never managed at senior level before, not to mind this level; they have a load of players out of contract at the end of the season, [and Giovagnoli] has made changes left right and centre in key positions.

“Yet, for all of that, they scored three goals, away from home against a good team.”

Dundalk held Rapid Vienna to 2-2 up until the final five minutes of the match, and could have won it if a shy header had found the back of the net in the final five minutes.

Coming so close to the victory frustrated McDonnell.

“At the same time, they sort of threw it away,” McDonnell said. “They conceded some very bad goals.

“Unfortunately, the manager made a really big decision by changing the goalkeeper after Gary Rogers had a tough time against Arsenal.

“But, Aaron McCarey had a tough time of it, really, and it was sort of a straight cross into the box for the 3-2 goal, and that was it.”

David McMillan of Dundalk shoots to score his side's third goal, from a penalty, during the UEFA Europa League Group B match between SK Rapid Wien and Dundalk at Allianz Stadion in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Vid Ponikvar/Sportsfile

Could Dundalk get out of the group?

Ward thought that Dundalk had played so surprisingly well that a win in Austria could have boosted their chances to get out of the group.

“I feel that this is a massive missed opportunity,” Ward said. “They should have gotten something at least out of the two games except for the Arsenal game.

“In which case, they’d fancy their chance at home to Vienna, and away to Molde, that’s not a game they should be altogether petrified of.

“In hindsight they actually had a realistic chance of getting out of this group.”

While McDonnell disagreed with Ward on whether Dundalk could make it out of the group stages, he did acknowledge that the Lilywhites were well in to win the game.

“Dundalk created some really good chances; chances of a really good quality,” McDonnell said. “Aside from the three they scored, two were penalties, they missed for really good chances.

“When you consider it as an Irish side in Europe at the group stage, an Irish side has scored three times away from home.

“In 2011 and 2016, the previous Irish group stages runs, they never scored more than one goal in any game. Now they scored three in one game, away from home, and lose.

“It was just a really bizarre game. I am not sure they even believed how bizarrely winnable that might have been.”

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