Dundalk FC dumped out of Leinster Senior Cup

Dundalk 0-4 Shelbourne

Dundalk FC have been dumped out of the Leinster Senior Cup at the first hurdle after being thrashed 4-0 by Shelbourne on what was a miserable night at Oriel Park.

First-half goals from Jack Moylan and Kyle Robinson added to strikes in the second half by Evan Caffrey and substitute Gbemi Arubi as Shels marched on to the quarter-finals.

Dundalk were dealt a huge blow after just six minutes of play, when Hayden Muller brought down Shels attacker Matty Smith, who looked to have had a clear run at goal.

After some deliberation, referee Robert Harvey issued a straight red card to the Dundalk defender, meaning The Lilywhites had to play the majority of the tie with ten players.

Shels immediately began to pressurise the Dundalk goal, with the resulting free-kick taken by Caffrey having to be pushed around the post by goalkeeper Peter Cherrie.

However, the Dubliners hit the front on eight minutes, with the lively Moylan dancing his way through the Dundalk rearguard before firing into the target to make it 1-0.

Shels should have doubled their advantage, with Wasiri Williams dispossessed by Moylan, but his pass was too heavy for Robinson, who would have surely made it 2-0.

Damien Duff’s side inevitably got their second goal on 35 minutes, with David Toure allowing Moylan to square it for Robinson, and he made no mistake from close range.

Dundalk’s best chance of the match came soon afterwards, as Robbie Benson’s set-piece from the right was headed across at the back post by Robbie McCourt before a Williams header then forced a decent stop out of Shels netminder Scott van der Sluis.

The visitors really should have killed the tie off before half-time, though, when Smith somehow blazed over the top after Moylan’s squared-pass had put it on a plate for him.

Indeed, Shels did make it 3-0 on 69 minutes, as Caffrey galloped down the right flank before his powerful attempt went straight through the hands of the veteran Cherrie.

Robinson missed a second sitter of the night after that, but Shels completed the rout when Cherrie was dispossessed by Arubi, who finished into an empty net on 81 minutes.

Dundalk FC: Peter Cherrie; Archie Davies, Hayden Muller, Wasiri Williams, Robbie McCourt (Sean Bannon 62); Keith Ward, Alfie Lewis; John Martin (Dualta Honney 86), Robbie Benson (Anthony Moyo 75), Ryan O’Kane (Conor O’Gorman 86); Cameron Elliott (Eoin Kenny 75)

Subs not used: Mark Byrne (gk), Craig Moore, Luke Mulligan, Jake Hough

Shelbourne: Scott van der Sluis; David Toure, Andrew Quinn, Shane Griffin (Lewis Temple 74), Kameron Ledwidge, Shane Farrell (Sean Cummins 83); Kyle Robinson, Evan Caffrey (Gbemi Arubi 74), Brian McManus, Matty Smith (Tyreke Wilson 60); Jack Moylan (Gavin Molloy 60)

Subs not used: John Ross Wilson, Harvey Nugent

Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin)