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Dundalk prepared for the midweek visit of Rapid Wien in the Europa League by booking a place in the semi-finals of the Irish FAI Cup with a 4-1 win over Bohemians at a windy Dalymount Park.
Two goals from Man of the Match David McMillan and one each from Michael Duffy and super-sub Nathan Oduwa saw the Lilywhites set up a meeting on Sunday evening with Athlone Town with a place in the FAI Cup final at stake for the winners.
Dundalk manager Filippo Giovagnoli was without Sean Murray, who has scored three goals in Europe this season, and the league’s top scorer Patrick Hoban who is out for the rest of the season after ankle surgery.
The Lilywhites started the game with great intensity that had been lacking in recent weeks. McMillan put Duffy through and he made no mistake with a low shot into the bottom corner of the Bohs net after just two minutes.
Despite Bohs slow start they got a lucky break when Conor Levingston’s free-kick struck the hand of Chris Shields in the box and Andre Wright squeezed the resulting penalty into the corner past Gary Rogers in the 11th minute.
Dundalk restored their lead in the 35th minute after McMillan converted the second penalty of the match after Duffy was brought down in the box. Just before halftime, McMillan scored his second and Dundalk’s third to kill off the Bohs challenge.
McMillan converted his spot-kick to give Dundalk a 2-1 lead Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
With a two-goal cushion going into the second half Dundalk were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure with Rogers making some fine saves to keep the two-goal gap intact.
For all of Bohs pressure in the second half it was Dundalk’s substitute Oduwo who broke away four minutes from time to tap in Duffy’s cross from close range to make it 4-1.
It is back to the Europa League on Thursday for Dundalk before they end a busy and important week with Sunday’s cracker of a last-four FAI cup tie against Athlone Town.
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