2017 Season Report Card - Dundalk

Team: Dundalk

Manager: Stephen Kenny

Top Scorer: David McMillan (23 goals in all competitions)

Highest Attendance: 4,746 (vs. Shamrock Rovers, February 24th)

Lowest Attendance: 1,776 (vs. Bray Wanderers, October 13th)

Star Player: Patrick McEleney

Not an easy choice by any means, but the accolade of Dundalk’s player of the year must surely go to the sublime playmaker. If anyone benefited from the shock departure of Ronan Finn, then it was McEleney, who played the entire season in his preferred number ten role rather than dropping back into midfield or being deployed out wide, like he was for much of his debut season at Oriel Park.

Reminiscent of a younger Paddy McCourt, who also happens to hail from Derry, McEleney has delighted the Dundalk supporters this season with his very own goal of the season competition reel, which includes outstanding individual strikes against Limerick, St Patrick’s Athletic, Drogheda United, Bray Wanderers and most recently Galway United in the final league match of the campaign. 

McEleney’s performances throughout the year saw him deservedly nominated for the PFAI Player of the Year award as well being named in the team of the year for the second season running. Stephen Kenny will no doubt have his work cut out trying to retain the 25-year-old, who is out of contract this winter and reported to be attracting strong interest from a number of cross-channel clubs.

Best Young Player: Michael Duffy

Given the unenviable task of replacing the irreplaceable Daryl Horgan at the start of the year, Duffy hasn’t at all fared too badly in his first season with Dundalk. The 23-year-old, who was signed from Celtic, netted eight times as well as being credited with an impressive 16 assists in the league. By comparison, his predecessor scored five goals whilst amassing just four assists in his debut season at Oriel Park.

Duffy will feel very hard done by to have had his decisive penalty saved in the FAI Cup final shootout, which was a real blot in what has been an otherwise near-perfect copybook. Next season is sure to be a big one for the Derry native, who will be looking to force his way back into the Northern Ireland squad having been called up by Michael O’Neill on two separate occasions towards the end of 2016.

Best New Signing: Niclas Vemmelund

Dundalk’s very own Great Dane enjoyed what unfortunately looks certain to be his only season with the club, with a move back home to Denmark seemingly imminent. Brought in from Derry City at the start of the year, he more than capably filled the huge void left by the departed Andy Boyle in the Dundalk defence, with the Lilywhites conceding just 14 goals whilst Vemmelund was on the pitch.

Vemmelund also helped the runners-up to 15 of their 20 clean sheets and even chipped in with four goals himself, which culminated in him being named in the PFAI Team of the Year in what was only his second season in the SSE Airtricity League. However, it’s a real shame that homesickness means the Oriel Park faithful are unlikely to see his elegant and classy defensive style again next season.

What we expected they would do:

Extratime.ie reporters collectively tipped Dundalk to defend their SSE Airtricity League crown and become only the second team ever to win four consecutive league titles.

What they actually did:

Stephen Kenny’s side finally surrendered their League of Ireland title to Cork City, who had been runners-up themselves in the previous three campaigns. Dundalk will take some solace coming into next season however, having managed to cut Cork’s lead at the top from 20 back in July to just seven in October.

What they need to improve on for next year:

To simply improve on their form against Cork, whom they took just one point from a possible nine. For example, turning that one point into five (one win and two draws) would have been enough to win the league.

Moment of season:

Tallaght Stadium has provided many special nights for Dundalk over the past number of years and this season was no different as The Lilywhites lifted the EA Sports Cup after thrashing Shamrock Rovers 3-0, not to mention beating the Hoops 4-2 after extra-time in a classic FAI Cup semi-final replay at the same venue just one month later.