Dundalk outclassed

UEFA CUP/First qualifying round, first leg - Varteks ... 5 Dundalk ... 0: In the end the difference in class told as Dundalk were heavily defeated by the Croatian side Varteks in the preliminary round first leg of the UEFA Cup last night.

In a one-sided game, Varteks, victorious in this same competition against Aston Villa last year, left Dundalk with little doubt that the second leg in two weeks' time would be largely irrelevant.

Varteks' ability to retain possession and infiltrate Dundalk's defensive lines made the outcome inevitable by half-time. At that stage it was 2-0 - with two goals in the space of four minutes.

The first arrived on 27 minutes when Danijel Hrman delivered a 40- yard pass over the head of Dundalk's left back Robbie Brunton and into the path of Ivica Huljev, who took two touches before slipping his shot past John Connolly. Four minutes later it was 2-0 as Hrman scored with a volley from 20 yards.

Two goals later and after hitting the post twice in the closing minutes Varteks made it 5-0 in the last minute through substitute Hrvoje Skelpic.

VARTEKS: Rumbak Z; Fumic I, Hrman D [Jancevski 56], Kristic M, Karic V, Mumlek M (c), Huljev I, Vuckovic N, Safaric N [Halimi 68], Sabolcki S, Halilovic N [Sklepic 62].

DUNDALK: J Connolly, J Whyte, R Brunton, N Melvin (G Haylock 34) , B McCrystal, J Flanagan, D Hoey, C Kavanagh, C Lawless (Chris Malone 78), M Reilly, D Ward (Cormac Malone 82).