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Trivia
- Testimonial for Dundalk's long-serving skipper Tom McNulty. Born in Hamilton, he had scored league-clinching goals for the Irish club in 1991 and 1995.
- Match originally scheduled for July 1996 – the same time as friendlies with Keadue Rovers and Finn Harps – but Celtic pulled out due to RUC-sponsored sectarian violence in the six counties. This decision was ridiculed by Irish journo Cathal Dervan.
- Dundalk's player/manager was John Hewitt – who would last until early March '97 before quitting.
- Hewitt brought Graeme Morrison back over to Dundalk on a month's loan after spotting him in this fixture. But Morrison knocked back a permanent move to stay and fight for a first-team place at Celtic.
- McNulty stayed with 'the Lillywhites' until 1999. In 2002 he was hit with a ten (!) year ban for pushing a referee while turning out for Rock Celtic in the Irish Junior ranks.
- The Dundalk side was swelled by five players borrowed from Dublin clubs, including Dónal Golden (Shelbourne) and Mark Reid (Shamrock Rovers).
Review
A youthful reserve XI swept aside Dundalk by four goals to one. Scottish goalie Les Fridge (Hewitt knew him from St. Mirren) was beaten after eight minutes by a Gerry Crossley header.
Five minutes into the second half Chris Hay collected a Declan Boyle pass and chipped Fridge. Then after 56 minutes, Crossley, playing in attack, grabbed his second.
Although Brian Byrne reduced the deficit, Stuart Gray added a fourth on 84 minutes after being set up by Paddy Fitzpatrick.
Teams
tbc
Stats
Oriel Park, Dundalk
KO: 2.30PM, Sunday 17 November 1996
ATT: ?
Referee: John Feighrey
Scorers:
Celtic: Crossley (8, 56), Hay (50), Gray (84)
Dundalk: Byrne (82)