Lilywhites claim three away goals | Airtricity League

Lilywhites claim three away goals

Dundalk boosted their chances of progressing further in the Europa League with a deserved 3-3 draw with CS Grevenmacher in Luxembourg on Thursday.

Back in Europe for the first time since 2002, the Lilywhites earned a credible result in front of a strong travelling support at the Stade Josy Barthel.

Fahrudin Kuduzovic put the visitors ahead on 26 minutes before Wayne Hatswell doubled their lead just six minutes into the second-half.

However, Grevenmacher hit back with three goals through Tim Heinz, Gabriel Gaspar and Gonzalo Almeida to swing the tie around.

An 80th-minute goal awarded to Garry Breen, although it took a big deflection, gave Dundalk something to build on though ahead of next week’s second leg in Oriel Park.

Ian Foster knows that his team can play a lot better and will surely not playing in such blistering heat when they welcome Marc Thome’s side to the border venue.

One of the encouraging factors for the Lilywhites boss was the threat that Kuduzovic posed whenever he was supplied with service as he fired wide and blasted over before eventually scoring.

The goal came as something of a surprise as he collected a short pass and didn’t really have anywhere to go, but somehow squeezed a low drive into the bottom corner.

Grevenmacher had a few chances of their own with Jonathan Furst smashing a shot against the post just a minute before the half-time whistle blew.

After the interval, the Dundalk fans were given another goal to cheer when Hatswell got up to meet a Ross Gaynor corner and head in.

That should have been enough for Foster’s men to close up and defend their two away goal advantage, but they grew tired and the hosts came at them with renewed energy.

Heinz got their first goal when he headed in a corner and then Gaspar leveled matters with a long-range strike that keeper Matt Gregg couldn’t get to in time.

And there was nothing the Dundalk stopper could do about Almeida’s stunner that gave the Luxembourg outfit control of the game.

But the away team were not about to give this one up and a scramble in the opposition’s penalty area following an Alan Cawley was eventually bundled over the line.

Bulgarian side Levski Sofia await the victors of this tie, but it is very much in Dundalk’s favour thanks to their away goals and their battling spirit.

CS Grevenmacher: Pleiming; Gaspar, Heinz, Benichov, Hoffmann; Baur (Stojadinovic 90), Hartung, Furst, Mendes (Almeida 67), Lovadj; Muller (Bravn 83).

Substitutes Not Used: Ronk, Lorig, Brzyski, Wampach.

Dundalk: Gregg; Kelly, G Breen, Hatswell, Murphy (McGuigan 63); Maher, Miller, Cawley; Kuduzovic, Fenn, Gaynor (McGowan 79).

Substitutes Not Used: J Breen, Smyth, McDonnell, Griffen, Mulvenna.

Referee: Emir Aleckovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

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