| Match Pictures | Matches: 1979 – 1980 | 1979-80 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic go through 3-2 on aggregate.
- BBC Scotland transmit radio coverage from Irish radio. Celtic fans listen nervously knowing one goal conceded will knock them out.
- Dundalk opted to play in their small Oriel Park rather than a money spinning move to Landsdowne Road in Dublin.
- Record Dundalk gate receipts of £38,000.
- Danny McGrain was injured in training and Jim Casey flies out from Glasgow as a possible replacement. McGrain eventually plays.
- Celtic played in their old 'floppy collar' strip rather than the new V neck jersey. It was expected this was because of the traditional shirt swapping at the end of the game.
- Estimated 3,000 Celtic fans travel to Dundalk, many without tickets.
- Valencia beat Rangers 3-1 at Ibrox to leave Celtic as the last Scots club standing in European competition.
Review
This narrow 0-0 draw shredded Celtic nerves. They could not get the goal against a defence that had played particularly well at Celtic Park and continued in this game.
Celtic played an unusual 3-4-3 formation with McGrain unusually played in midfield alongside Conroy, Edvaldsson and Macleod. Conditions were heavy after days of rain so McNeill picked his team accordingly.
In the second half Dundalk survived a barrage of attacks and somehow managed to keep it goal-less. MacDonald scored for Celtic but the Danish referee disallowed the goal for an unknown infringement.
In the latter stages Celtic had some anxious moments as Dundalk grew bolder and attacked.
Celtic were now in the quarter finals draw to be held on January 16.
Teams
Dundalk:
Blackmore, McConville, Martin Lawlor (McKenna), Keeley, Dunning, Flanigan, Mick Lawlor (Daly), Devine, Muckian, Byrne, Dainty
Celtic:
Latchford, McGrain, Aitken, McAdam, MacDonald, MacLeod, Provan, Conroy, Edvaldsson, Lennox, Burns (Davidson 88). Subs: Bonner Sneddon, Lynch Casey
Referee:- Sorensen (Denmark)
Attendance:- 16,300
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Articles
Evening Times 8th November 1979
From Dundalkfc.com
17,000 people crammed into Oriel Park paying gate receipts of £38,000. The standard of football was not as high as the first leg but the tension made it a gripping encounter. Dundalk, unlike the first leg, were more or less fully fit. Mick Lawlor even had acupunture treatment to overcome injury for the match. Celtic played a very defensive formation with Roy Aitken playing as a sweeper in a 5 man defence. It was the Scottish Champions who look lively early on and after 4 minutes the veteran Bobby Lennox hit a ferocious shot off the underside of the crossbar. After 11 minutes a poor back pass by Leo Flanagan was intercepted by Edvaldsson who rounded Blackmore but his tame shot was cleared off the line. Dundalk started defending with greater discipline and began to stamp their authority on the game. After 25 minutes a Flanagan cross was met by Mick Lawlor unmarked at the back post. His header went narrowly wide.
In the second half chances were in short supply. After 55 minutes a powerful 25 yard shot was saved by Blackmore.
The introduction of Terry Daly added a bit more steel to the midfield and Danny McGrain was finding the going tough. After 67 minutes Daly’s cross was met by a Muckian header but went just shaved the post. Then, right at the death, came the most famous miskick in Dundalk’s history. Dundalk were awarded a free kick which was floated into the Celtic area by Flanagan. Dunning got a flick on to the back post where Tommy McConville had arrived unmarked. With the goal gaping and Latchford making a desperate effort to get across Tommy couldn’t get enough of the ball to steer it home. With that miss an extremely lucky Celtic went into the quarter finals of the European Cup against Real Madrid.
