Hoban - I want to win everything

The league’s hottest property in front of goal, Pat Hoban, has admitted he is eyeing up a perfect season for Dundalk this year and refuses to acknowledge any talk of potential failure.

With his side sitting pretty in second place in the league following their 2-0 victory over reigning champions Sligo Rovers and still the FAI Cup to play for, the former Mervue United man is adamant he is thinking only of success.

“We have to finish first, there is absolutely no point thinking about anything else for us now. I want to win everything this year and everything is there for us so we have to go for it, it is all in front of us and we will keep giving our all to do it,” he said.

“Limerick come here in the cup next week and we will be looking to win in that too because we are not just in that for the laugh of it, I want to win everything this season.”

The Bit o’ Red knew it was a must win game if they were to keep up real hope of title retention and although Hoban admitted it was they who performed the better in the first half, he was pleased with his side’s second half response.

Despite Ian Baraclough’s men edging the opening 45 minutes, it was a superb overhead kick from the 22-year-old that was the difference between the teams at the half time interval and although it was a goal he greatly enjoyed, he revealed he has scored better ones.

“We knew coming into the game that it was going to be a tough one and when we got the goal they were well on top to be fair but we battled really well and held on to half time and then settled down and came at them better in the second half,” said the 14 goals to his name this season, 11 of which have come in the league.

“It was a great flick on and a good set up by Richie because he flicked it on in a way that allowed me to go for it first time and it was just instinct and thankfully it flew in but it isn’t my best I got a great one last year for Mervue against Waterford from outside the box and I had a goal here in pre-season that was the best I ever scored but it isn’t videoed so nobody will ever see that, it’s only in my head!

“Everything is going brilliant and I am just over the moon to be playing my part in the team and if I don’t score I don’t care as long as we keep getting the victory.”

Hoban also said that he and his teammates were not daunted whatsoever by coming up against the side who last lifted the country’s biggest prize and although he gained an incredible ovation upon being substituted for running himself into the ground for the cause, he pointed to the hard work that the team as a whole are putting in for the final few months of the campaign.

“We didn’t look at that game though as ‘oh we are playing Sligo Rovers’, we just looked at it as a chance to win three points and it is the same amount of points we got for beating Shelbourne and the same we will get if we win next week,” he continued.

“I think everyone puts in the same effort and everyone gives it their all because we are a very fit team and that comes down to the coaching and fitness staff for that too.

“We keep coming strong and in the last 20 minutes of games we continue driving on even if we are losing and we are not stopping and proves the great battling quality we have at the moment.

“I had a slight feeling I was coming off and I knew I had to just burst my gut and keep running and chasing and closing down and I’m just delighted to work hard for the team and play my part.”

With his team having saw off the Sligo challenge and Derry City falling at home to the hands of Drogheda United, it would seem St Pat’s and Dundalk will now be favourites to go on and secure the championship but Hoban refused to rule either of those side’s out of the title hunt.

“I definitely don’t think Sligo and Derry are out of it no way because there is still a way to go and in football anything can happen and who knows what could happen as Pat’s could go out and lose to UCD so you just don’t know.”