2022 Season Review: Dundalk

Team: Dundalk
Head Coach: Stephen O’Donnell
Top Scorer: Patrick Hoban (9 goals in all competitions)
Stadium:  Oriel Park/Casey’s Field

Highest Attendance: 3,546 (0-0 draw with Shamrock Rovers in March)
Star Player: Nathan Shepperd

After achieving a half decade of success with the experienced Gary Rogers between the sticks, the Lilywhites struggled for goalkeeping certainty in 2021 following the Meathman’s retirement. Incoming Head Coach Stephen O’Donnell bucked the trend in League of Ireland goalkeeping recruitment with the loan signing of a 19 year old Vitezslav Jaros ahead of the 2021 season at St Patrick’s Athletic. The Czech under 21 international became the first starting goalkeeper under the age of thirty to lift the FAI Cup since 29 year old Brendan Clarke in 2014.

Galwegian O’Donnell looked to repeat the trick at Oriel Park in 2022 with the capture of Welsh Under 21 cap Nathan Shepperd from Brentford ‘B’. The stopper had yet to play an adult league game in the Football League pyramid but had captained the Brentford ‘B’ side on a number of occasions. March 2021 saw the Valleys native make his Under 21 debut as a halftime replacement for future Shelbourne loanee Lewis Webb in a behind closed doors friendly against the Republic of Ireland.

Shepperd’s next sojourn against Irish opposition took the form of preseason friendly games for Dundalk which, despite little blame being attached to the keeper, included a heavy 5-1 defeat at the hands of Bohemians.

After conceding two goals in each of his opening two league games for the Lilywhites, Shepperd then went on to record a brace of clean sheets- against Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers respectively. During his tenure as number one at Oriel Park, the aforementioned Rogers had a habit of making important saves during goalless periods in games Dundalk would go on to win comfortably- the ensuing goals consigning potential match winning stops to mere footnotes. 

That first game against Finn Harps illustrated that Shepperd possessed a similar trait- despite a three nil scoreline, the Welshman’s goal led a charmed life prior to Stephen Bradley’s opener. Indeed, the keeper played a crucial role in the goal as his  direct pass was collected by the Scottish winger before he cut inside the cover to find the net and set Dundalk on their way to victory.

Incidentally, at Finn Park in October, Shepperd produced similar heroics in the opening moments to deny the home side- flinging himself to his left to fingertip a Dylan Duncan effort around the post. In a period where Dundalk had only recorded one on field victory in their previous six games and had travelled to Ballybofey on the back of a last gap home defeat to European rivals St Patrick’s Athletic, the concession of an early goal to a Harps side battling to avoid relegation could have changed the complex of the end of the season.

Dundalk went on to win the encounter by two goals to one and ended the season with three wins and a draw from their last four games, securing that coveted third position and European qualification.

Shepperd recorded a total of 13 clean sheets in his debut season at Oriel Park and has developed into one of the most important assets at the club- his swashbuckling style, where he spends almost as much time outside his penalty area as inside, is a crucial aspect of Dundalk’s play. While there was much talk midseason about the Dundalk defence and the advanced nature of their position, by the end of the campaign that chatter had been firmly put to bed thanks to the Welshman’s rapid development into the role- the early season uncertainty between keeper and defence which saw some unsure moments and included the concession of a late penalty against Shelbourne was consigned to the annals of history as the chapter closed on an ultimately successful breakthrough 2022 for the former Swansea City youngster.

Best Young Player- Ryan O’Kane

Diminutive winger O'Kane returned to his hometown in 2021 after sampling adult football in the Northern Irish Football League with both Cliftonville and Warrenpoint Town. With a number of cameo appearances towards the end of the season, fan expectations were that the grandson of former club Chairman Tony would kick on and nail down a starting berth in 2022. The arrival of Head Coach Stephen O'Donnell, who had shown faith in youth prospects such as the aforementioned Jaros, defender James Abankwah and winger Darragh Burns strengthened this belief.

However, the subsequent loan signing of Hibernians winger Steven Bradley tempered such hopes and the Scottish wideman formed an attacking partnership with the electric Daniel Kelly and, prior to the former Bohs man suffering a season ending injury in the summer, they had racked up 10 goals (6 for Kelly, 4 for Bradley) with O' Kane reduced to the role of a substitute for tiring legs- his pace seen as a key asset in the closing stages of a game.

However, the injury picked up by Kelly left the door open for O'Kane and the opportunity was grasped with both hands. While Norwegian Runar Hauge's arrival on loan was an attempt to offset the loss of Kelly, it was O'Kane who picked up the baton and by season's end he had finished as the starting winger on the left hand side with Hibs men Hauge and Bradley vying for the right sided position.

After being handed his first league start of the season at Dalymount Park in August, a 1-0 win, he went on to score his first goal for the club in an FAI Cup win over Wexford before netting against both St Patrick's Athletic and Sligo Rovers in the league. 

Having arrived at the club on a 3 year professional deal as a 17 year old in 2021, by October 2022 he was offered a new two year deal at the Carrick Road outfit so impressed were they by his season exploits. His performances were also recognised by fans of the Lilywhites as he picked up three Man of the Match awards, a Goal of the Month and the 1903 Dundalk Supporters' Club Player of the Month for September.

At international level, O'Kane was called up to an Under 19 training camp by Tom Mohan in June 2021, if he carries his end of season form to 2023 he may end up on the radar of Jim Crawford and the Under 21 squad. 

Best New Signing- Lewis Macari

With much being made about the paucity of players available at the outset of pre season, the majority of the Dundalk FC squad for 2022 could be considered as eligible for this award. Given that Nathan Shepperd has received the accolade of Player of the Season in his opening campaign it may seem somewhat odd to be considering someone else for New Signing of the Season.

However, notable mentions should be given to loanees Dan Williams and Mark Connolly- neither of whose loans lasted beyond the summer transfer window. Williams had grabbed a couple of assists from the base of midfield and was starting to become a focal point before an April injury against Sligo Rovers saw his ultimate return to Swansea City ahead of schedule.

For his part, Clones native Connolly endeared himself to home supporters from the off with a debut goal against Derry City and a series of committed defensive displays at the heart of the defence. However, despite breaking Candystripe hearts at the start of the season, he ended up joining the Brandywell outfit on a permanent deal during the summer transfer window and by the end of the campaign he was a fixture in their team and lifted the FAI Cup. He was also nominated for Player of the Year alongside another ex Lilywhite in the shape of the versatile Cameron Dummigan.

For New Signing of the Season it's the versatility shown by Lewis Macari which merits a strong case for the award. Arriving from Stoke City Under 23s on loan as a recognised centre half, he quickly found himself selected as a right full back to accommodate the defensive partnership of the experienced duo of Connolly and Andy Boyle. An early feature of Dundalk's attacking play centred on Macari's ability to float in deep crosses from the right wing, earning him a handful of assists by the end of the season. 

However, despite his efforts on the right he was also asked to provide cover as left full back- switching sides with another versatile operator in Sam Bone. He finished the season in the centre of the defence alongside Andy Boyle with John Mountney berthed at right back and Sam Bone in a defensive midfield role.

Unusually for a defender who made 34 league appearances throughout the course of 2022, Macari recorded more goals than bookings- his lone strike at Finn Park was ultimately crucial in a 2-1 victory while he failed to earn a single caution in the Premier Division. 

What we expected they would do

The extratime.com team predicted a 6th place finish for the Lilywhites, level on points with Sligo Rovers but missed out on fifth due to more respondents placing the Showgrounds based outfit in a higher position than Dundalk.

What they actually did

After picking up a single victory, and 8 points, in the opening 6 games of the league (one win and 5 draws) Dundalk then travelled to Head in the Game Park where they suffered their first league defeat courtesy of a Dean Williams spotkick- one of two reverses at the hands of the Boynesiders at the venue in 2022. However, in the 14 matches between the two fixtures Dundalk lost only once- at the hands of Shamrock Rovers.

The 33 points picked up during this run raised hopes of a serious title challenge between themselves, Derry City and Shamrock Rovers. However, these aspirations were quickly quenched as the defeat to Drogheda brought the run to a shuddering halt- once again a Williams strike proved the difference between the sides.

8 points from the next 4 games- draws against St Patrick’s Athletic and Derry City, as well as wins over Finn Harps and Bohemians - set the Lilywhites up well for a trip to Tallaght Stadium to take on Shamrock Rovers and put pressure on the Hoops at the summit. However, shorn of injured top scorer Pat Hoban and the suspended Andy Boyle, the visitors suffered a 3-0 defeat and proceeded to pick up a single point in their next three fixtures. A 2-0 loss away to Sligo Rovers, goalless draw to Shelbourne at Oriel Park and a late defeat to UCD saw the roller coaster nature of the season take a nosedive- though the reverse at the Showgrounds was later deemed a 3-0 victory for Dunalk after an administrative error by the Bit O’Red.

In the FAI Cup, Dundalk’s opening game saw Longford Town dispatched 4-0 courtesy of Greg Sloggett’s only goals of the season. Prior to his injury, the Meathman was a vital player in the Dundalk engine room throughout the season and is a strong contender for the starting XI next season despite the strength of competition in that area of the field.

The next round saw a Nathan Shepperd masterclass against Wexford and the Lilywhites scrape a 3-2 victory before being drawn against their southeast neighbours Waterford in the next round. The Blues had been in good form since the appointment of Danny Searle as manager and took the Premier Division scalp thanks to strikes from Shane Griffin, Darragh Power and Phoenix Patterson.

This meant that Dundalk entered the final six games of the season with their sights set on nothing but European qualification and a coveted third place. They began the first leg of the journey with a 2-0 victory over Drogheda United at a renamed Casey’s Field, so called in memory of former Dundalk FC and UEFA stalwart Des who passed away during the summer months, before conceding an injury time goal to Adam O’Reilly which saw St Patrick’s claim what was possibly a vital three points in the quest for Europe.

A hard fought win on an emotional night in Finn Park, coupled with a point at the end of a topsy turvy night in Casey’s Field when Sligo Rovers visited the following weekend meant that when Bohemians landed at the venue in the penultimate league game of the season European qualification could be secured with a favourable set of results. 

 Dundalk did their bit, in front of their home fans for the last time in 2022,  with a brace of first half goals enough to secure victory over Declan Devine’s visitors- David McMillan’s free kick and a  neat Runar Hauge finish were enough to render Ethan Varian’s late header as a mere consolation. With news filtering through of Sligo Rovers taking points from St Patrick’s Athletic it gave both players and supporters a chance to celebrate European qualification together, and a potential second position in the table with a commanding victory over Derry City the next week.

That victory over Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium did come about and meant that of the 5 on field away wins in the league, four of them took place in the north west- a pair apiece in Ballybofey and the Bogside. However, despite a 15th on field clean sheet, Peter Cherrie’s second of the campaign, Keith Ward’s solitary strike meant that at the end of the season only goal difference separated Derry City in second place and Dundalk in third.

What they need to improve on for next year:

Luck regarding injuries. Every area of the Dundalk FC squad spent time in the treatment room at various points throughout the season with some positions suffering more extensively. From Nathan Shepperd having to sit out a couple of games due to a shoulder knock, defenders Darragh Leahy (ankle injury  in preseason, Brian Gartland (plantar fasciitis midseason), Robbie McCourt (injured v Shamrock Rovers) and John Mountney (ACL recovery from 2021) being unavailable for periods to midfielder Dan Williams having his loan cut short due to injury and the influential Robbie Benson having his gametime severely curtailed as he battled a hip problem throughout the campaign. Another duo of former UCD midfielders were moved from the engine room to the treatment room as Paul Doyle and Greg Sloggett ended the season unavailable through injury. Further up the field, Daniel Kelly last kicked a ball for Dundalk on the 5th of August, a week before Pat Hoban’s final start of the season at Dalymount Park- his replacement John Martin had himself suffered knee trouble during 2022.

While an argument may be made that signing players of a versatile nature may alleviate potential injury absences, it should also be noted that versatility was the order of the day throughout the campaign- with Darragh Leahy the only specialist left back in the squad, replacements during the league included attacker Joe Adams, midfielder Robbie Benson as well as Sam Bone, Lewis Macari and John Mountney- the latter trio having also occupied a variety of positions across the 36 league games.

Last season, due to the amount of new arrivals, Stephen O’Donnell made a number of changes to the starting lineup in the opening games of the campaign. This off season the focus needs to be on retaining a significant number of players from which to establish a solid foundation at the start of the season and carefully managing the return of those injured players. 

With a number of centrally positioned key players already re-signed for next season, greater competition in the full back areas and, with the return of Steven Bradley and Runar Hauge to Hibernians, further up the field on the flanks would also be a prudent call. Striker Pat Hoban is somewhat of a unique talent in the League of Ireland, with his ability to link up with forward players as well as a keen eye for goal in the air and on the ground, so it’s not an easy task to replace him. However, a more traditional number nine than the creative John Martin and wily David McMillan could add an extra dimension to Dundalk in 2023.

World Cup postcard from shipping container Stadium 974 https://t.co/mRm5yUe8DPpic.twitter.com/13PUoXhLUl

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) November 25, 2022