Season Preview 2008: Dundalk

Lilywhites a Lethal Weapon gunning for promotion.

Installed as ante-post favourites to secure the title and the one and only promotion place, John Gill’s Dundalk enter into a critical season this year, one which is likely to make or break both the manager’s and club’s future. Now in his third year at Oriel Park, Gill faces into the new campaign under immense pressure to lead the club back to the Premier Division after what would be an eight-season absence.

Robbed of such a feat after a magnificent run in his first year at the helm, the border town embarked on another wonderful sequence of results in 2007, as they matched a club record of going fourteen matches unbeaten at the beginning of the season. Combined, a mid-season break, a widespread and crippling injury-crisis, and the loss of form by some of the side’s main stars, Dundalk's season soon became a write-off, as they fell behind the top two, Cobh Ramblers and Finn Harps - who, notably, surpassed and matched the previous points total record in the First Division by tallying 77 and 76 points respectively. An end of season play-off against the latter was entered more in hope than expectation, and, despite a spirited show from a suspension and injury hit squad, the Lilywhites’ fate was sealed with a 2-0 defeat.

A season which had promised so much resulted in Dundalk being condemned to First Division football for yet another year, however, the acquisitions of seven players for the top flight in the close-season, along with the arrival of the third highest scorer in the second tier, namely Robbie Farrell, has meant that the buzz around the North Louth venue has once again risen, as a sustained assault on the league crown in 2008 seems assured with the squad now in place.

Five of the new signings have been brought in from Shamrock Rovers, with every one of them holding a First Division winners’ medal. David Cassidy, undoubtedly the star of the arrivals, Jamie Duffy, Davie O’Connor, Paul Shiels and Ian Ryan have all landed from Rovers, and they have been joined by other Premier recruits, Robbie Martin - a goal machine with UCD in their promotion winning season of 2004 - from Longford Town, and Paul Crowley - yet another First Division medal holder - from UCD. Add to that the aforementioned Robbie Farrell - a winner of this division with Dublin City in 2003 - and the remaining stars from the 2007 panel, such as previous promotion winners Ben Whelehan, Trevor Vaughan, Aidan Lynch, David Crawley, John Flanagan and Paul Smyth, along with Premier Division winners’ medal holder Paul Marney, and it becomes clear that Dundalk’s position at the head of the outright betting market is one that is well deserved.

Only one defeat in their eighteen home games in the league last year - that coming late in the season when the title was already gone - was unfortunately not matched away from Oriel Park, with their recent record on the road reading just one win from nine outings. That will need to be addressed quickly as Dundalk head to expected title rivals Shelbourne on the opening day, however, with more steal now added and the return of long-term injury victim Ben Whelehan - who has managed seven clean-sheets in his eleven appearances for the club - to the heart of the defence, the Lilywhites will certainly be there or thereabouts when the league enters its final stretch next October.

Fourteen of the nineteen senior players within the Dundalk squad have previously played their way out of this division, while manager Gill has, as has his assistant Gerry Scully, won promotion from it both as a player and a manager. An experienced unit, Dundalk will, without doubt, be a lethal weapon come the season’s start. It has been a long wait, however, based on the quality squad and born winners that Gill has assembled for this title charge, 2008 appears that it could well be the year that Ireland’s largest sleeping giant is awakened.

ONE TO WATCH: ROBBIE MARTIN

Players Retained: Chris Bennion, John Flanagan, David Crawley, Aidan Lynch, Ben Whelehan, Shane Grimes, Stefan McKevitt, Paul Marney, Paul Smyth, Trevor Vaughan, Tiarnàn Mulvenna.

Players In (Position - Last Club): Aaron Shanahan (GK - Kilkenny City), Ian Ryan (CB - Shamrock Rovers), David Cassidy (CM - Shamrock Rovers), Jamie Duffy (WM - Shamrock Rovers), Davie O’Connor (LM - Shamrock Rovers), Paul Shiels (CM - Shamrock Rovers), Paul Crowley (CM - UCD), Robbie Farrell (ST - Monaghan United), Robbie Martin (ST - Longford Town).

Players Out (Position - New Club): Philip Hughes (ST - Shelbourne), Keith Dunne (WM - Shelbourne), Shaun Williams (CM - Finn Harps) Stephen Quigley (RB - Waterford United), Neil Gallagher (GK - Longford Town), Vinny Perth (CM - Longford Town), James Hand (LM - Monaghan United), Robbie Doyle (ST - Sporting Fingal), Cormac McArdle (LM - Newry City), Cathal O’Connor (CM - Released), Robbie Dunne (CM - Released), Thomas McGauley (CB - Released).

2008 Squad in Full:
Goalkeepers: Chris Bennion, Aaron Shanahan.
Defenders: John Flanagan, David Crawley, Aidan Lynch, Ben Whelehan, Shane Grimes, Stefan McKevitt, Ian Ryan.
Midfielders: Paul Marney, Paul Smyth, David Cassidy, Paul Shiels, Jamie Duffy, Davie O’Connor, Paul Crowley.
Strikers: Trevor Vaughan, Tiarnàn Mulvenna, Robbie Farrell, Robbie Martin.