Stephen Kenny laments Dundalk's defensive lapses

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny felt his team defended poorly as they bowed out of the Europa League with a 2-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Netanya.

Stephen Kenny laments Dundalk's defensive lapses

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny felt his team defended poorly as they bowed out of the Europa League with a 2-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Netanya.

The result ultimately proved academic as AZ Alkmaar's victory over St Petersburg meant the League of Ireland champions could not have progressed from Group D but they went into the game with a chance.

They did not help themselves as a penalty from Tal Ben Chaim and a strike by Dor Miha, both after errors by Gary Rogers, either side of an Eli Dasa own goal condemned them to defeat.

Kenny said: "I feel in the first half we started well enough but the goal we conceded was a really poor goal from our point of view.

"It was very disappointing to concede a goal like that but the players showed their character to get a goal back in the manner that they did. It was a well worked goal and that gave us confidence.

"I felt we were well in the game at 1-1 and it looked like we could create more chances but it was very disappointing to concede a second goal the way we did."

Kenny admitted such defensive lapses had become a recurring theme throughout the European campaign but Dundalk would bow out with pride.

He said: "We have given some soft goals away but over the campaign we've beaten FH Hafnarfjordur over two legs, beaten BATE Borisov 3-0 to qualify, run Legia Warsaw really close and in the group there's never been more than a goal in any of the games."

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