Dundalk FC crash out of the PTSB Leinster Senior Cup

St Mochta’s 2-0 Dundalk

Dundalk FC crashed out of the PTSB Leinster Senior Cup at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday night, losing 2-0 to non-league St Mochta’s at Porterstown Road in Clonsilla.

Ex-Cabinteely man Dean Casey’s first-half brace added to Stephen O’Donnell’s woes in what has been a disastrous beginning to the 2024 season for the Dundalk head coach.

In fact, a 3-1 win versus Malahide United in the same competition at Gannon Park just shy of two months ago remains the last time The Lilywhites tasted a victory of any kind.

An U20 selection represented Dundalk in their final Group A outing, a 0-0 draw with Bohemians at Oriel Park, which earned a second-place finish, as well as a last-eight spot.

O’Donnell, who didn’t take charge for that match, made a return to the dugout for the midweek visit to St Mochta’s – Dundalk’s first encounter with the Leinster Senior League outfit since hammering them 5-1 in a second-round FAI Cup tie at Oriel in August 2021.

He named a stronger line-up, with Ross Munro, Daryl Horgan, Robbie Mahon, Ryan O’Kane, Hayden Muller, Paul Doyle and Zak Bradshaw all named in the starting eleven.

Despite that injection of experience, it was Casey who opened the scoring on 29 minutes, before adding a second four minutes later to compound more misery on The Lilywhites.

15-year-old Vincent Leonard, who became Dundalk’s youngest-ever player when he started against Bohs, made his second appearance when he replaced fellow defender Tom McLoughlin just past the hour-mark, but it didn’t prevent his side from elimination.

St Mochta’s: Adam Hayden; Luke Kelly, Ciaran Grogan, Conor Dunne, Luke McWilliams; Alex O’Hanlon (Glenn Shannon 70), Alex Kelly, Darragh Owens (Cillian Thompson 81), Dean Casey (Aaron Montgomery 88); Jake Donnelly (Gareth McCaffrey 70), Liam Brady (Oliver Dunne 81)

Subs not used: James Quinlan (gk)

Dundalk FC: Ross Munro; Luke Mulligan, Hayden Muller, Tom McLoughlin (Vincent Leonard 63), Sean Keogh; Paul Doyle, Zak Bradshaw (Scott Brady 84); Ryan O’Kane, Robbie Mahon, Daryl Horgan; Eoin Kenny (Conor O’Gorman 67)

Subs not used: Sean Molloy (gk), Samuel Case

Referee: Daniel Murphy (Dublin)