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Lilywhites hit for six
Dundalk won’t be forgetting their visit to Bulgaria in a hurry after a classy Levski Sofia side hit them for six.

This Europa League second qualifying round tie had always looked like a difficult task, but the 2009 Bulgarian champions produced a scintillating display which could have produced more goals.

Ian Foster opted to include Peter Cherrie after a lengthy lay-off and his rustiness under the high ball led to the opening goal. Cherrie attempted to claim Joaozinho’s corner, but he didn’t get enough on it and midfielder Hristo Yoyov swept the ball home.

They were two down within the opening 14 minutes as the impressive international Yoyov started a move from inside his own half, finding Darko Tasevski in space. The creative midfielder then threaded the ball through for Daniel Mladenov who beat Cherrie from the edge of the box.

Young defender Ciaran McGuigan was lucky to escape with just a yellow card after he scythed down Tasevski who looked clear on goal, as the pressure continued and Cherrie denied both Tasevski and Vladimir Gadzhev, while Wayne Hatswell cleared a Yoyov shot off the line.

But the resistance was broken before the break as French striker Garra Dembele raced on to a Tasevski through ball and crashed a rising drive off the post and in.

Cherrie got to know the net at the other end within a minute of the break, as a Garry Breen clearance only found Tasevski and he created another for Mladenov who dinked the ball over the goalkeeper.

Stephen Maher had a deflected shot dip just over at the other end, while Ciaran McGuigan headed wide from an Alan Cawley cross as Dundalk looked for a consolation goal.

The closest they came was when new signing Steven Lennon cracked a terrific dipping shot off the underside of the bar with goalkeeper Georgi Petkov beaten.

But at the other end the threat remained, as Cherrie brilliantly denied Dembele twice in succession.

The Frenchman was replaced by Ismail Isa who completed the rout with two late goals. First he headed home a Vaselin Minev cross, before tapping home from close range after Cherrie had parried a Gadzhev effort.

LEVSKI SOFIA – Petkov; Stanchev, Miliev, Ivanov, Minev; Gadzhev, Yovov (Baltanov 53); Mladenov, Tasevski (Aleksandrov 65), Joaozinho; Dembele (Isa 78).

DUNDALK – Cherrie; Kelly, McGuigan, Breen, Hatswell; Maher, Miller, Cawley; Kuduzovic (McGowan 80), Fenn (Lennon 60), Gaynor.

REFEREE – D Orsato (Italy).
 
 
 
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