As it turned out Dundalk's players were probably rather relieved there was no more than a handful of club officials there to see their exit against Portmarnock from the FAI Cup on Sunday in Baldonnel.
Remarkably, this was the first real upset in this season's competition. Still, a junior team having to beat two intermediate and one seriously out-of-sorts senior club to reach the quarterfinals of the country's leading cup competition still seems pretty messed up. However, Portmarnock deserve their crack at Longford Town as well as the satisfaction of hearing their names called out during this evening's semi-final draw (live on RTE's Six One news).
Certainly Martin Murray's side could have no complaints about missing out on the honour. On Sunday they clearly looked to have the better individual players but, as Portmarnock's match-winning junior international, Keith Bruen, put it afterwards, they were never prepared to "roll up their sleeves and get stuck in".
It seemed reasonable to expect more from a side that has never been outside of the first division's automatic promotion placings since the start of the season and which had recently slipped above Athlone Town into top spot. On the face of it they shouldn't have been susceptible to very ordinary looking opponents.
On Sunday, though, they looked a little too experienced for their own good. And up front, where their greatest difficulties lay, the contribution of their latest acquisition, John Ryan, highlighted just how badly things can go wrong when you load up with players who have been there, done that and perhaps no longer have all that much interest in doing a whole lot any more.
Ryan had struck up a decent enough partnership with Martin Reilly after arriving from Bray but it was the former St Patrick's striker whose creativity repeatedly came closest to unlocking the non-leaguers.
A couple of years ago you would have fancied Tommy Byrne to have a field day running at defenders like David Mooney, Niall Maddock and Declan Dolan but he too was contained rather easily while even younger, fresher players failed to make an impact. All of which suggests, despite the relative success enjoyed by Bray and Longford this season, Dundalk's problems will only really start if they are promoted.
Murray will have to do make some significant adjustments to the internal balance of a team which does at least contain a significance presence from Co Louth but which would still manage to look seriously outdated going into a top flight.
It's possible that against Portmarnock Murray and his players were preoccupied with what is a closely fought promotion battle. However, given the misery the club's supporters have had to cope with over the past few seasons it remains difficult to believe they viewed a more prolonged run in the cup and the revenue it would bring as something to be easily passed up.
Of Course, the immediate task, in light of the foot-and-mouth problems in the county, is to ensure the club is allowed to complete its league programme, something club officials believe is more likely in the light of Sunday's cup game having gone ahead. Whether there will be any gate receipts during the run-in remains to be seen but, at least in the short term, there should finally be something to celebrate around Oriel Park.
(emalone@irish-times.ie)
