Griffin on the double for new club Bohs

Local footballer Marc Griffin was on target twice for his new club Bohemians as they beat Athlone Town 3-0 in the first round of the EA Sports Cup at Dalymount Park last night.

The Muirhevnamor man broke the deadlock on the half hour mark, starting a move which seen him win possession at the edge of his own box before racing upfield to latch on to an Adam Wixted cross to fire home at the near post.

The former Dundalk striker added his second on the stroke of half-time when he fired under the advancing keeper following a ball over the top.

While he failed to land his hat-trick, Griffin did turn provider for Bohs’ third when his corner was steered home by Jake Hyland 10 minutes from the end.

Dundalk FC season tickets to go on sale this Friday

Dundalk FC season tickets will go on sale this Friday with the club keeping the rates at the same price as last season.

Season Ticket prices in 2015 will offer major savings compared to paying into games on a match by match basis. The purchase of a season ticket will represent the equivalent of at least six matches free over the course of the season.

The tickets can be purchased from either Oriel Park or from the Dundalk FC stand in the Marshes Shopping Centre. The club have also announced that their new black away kit will also be on sale from the Marshes from 10am on Thursday.

An installment plan is also available where you can put a down payment on your season ticket in the Marshes Shopping Centre and pay off the cost before the start of the season.

This year’s season tickets have in-built information that identify each season ticket holder and must be scanned in on match-night.

The cost of tickets are as follows:

Allocated Stand	Price
Adult	€250 (Saving of at least €110)
OAP/Full-Time Third Level Student	€200 (Saving of at least €96)
General Stand Admission	Price
Adult	€200 (Saving of at least €120)
OAP/Full-Time Third Level Student	€160 (Saving of at least €80)
Secondary School Students (Age 13-17)	Price
Ground	€75 (Saving of at least €85)
Stand	€125 (Saving of at least €115)
Primary School Students (12 and Under)	Price
Ground	Free to members of the Junior Supporters Club
Stand	€50

One player who will not be at Oriel Park next season is Muirhevnamor man Marc Griffin, who has signed for Bohemians.

Competitive football returns to Oriel Park tonight as Dundalk host Coleraine

Competitive football returns to Oriel Park tonight as Dundalk FC take on Coleraine in the first leg of the Setanta Cup quarter-finals.

Stephen Kenny has retained much of the side that clinched second place in the league last season, while also adding the likes of David McMillan, Ruaidhri Higgins, Daryl Horgan, Marc Griffin and Sean Gannon to the side.

This will be Dundalk’s first time competing in the Setanta Cup since losing the 2011 final to Shamrock Rovers and it will be only the second time that they have met Coleraine, with the Northern side winning 1-0 in the old Blaxnit Cup in 1970.

For the match itself, Dundalk will be without the services of centre-half Brian Gartland as he recovers from an ankle knock he picked up in training while Keith Ward is continuing his rehabilitation from a cruciate ligament injury he picked up last season. New signing Sean Gannon, who went off with a hamstring injury in the Leinster Senior Cup defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic last week, is more than likely going to miss out but in better news, Andy Boyle and Chris Shields are both in line to return following injury however they’ll run late fitness tests before the match. All in all, it’s unlikely that there will be any major changes from the side which lined out in the Leinster Senior Cup last week.

Last season, Coleraine were the only team to beat Shamrock Rovers when they won the away leg of their first round tie and they’ll head to Oriel Park full of confidence as they are currently on a run of only two defeats in their last ten games.

Kick-off at Oriel Park is at 7.45pm

Dundalk cruise to victory in Tommy McConville Memorial Match

Thomas McConville Jr, son of the late Tommy McConville, accepts a presentation from the PFAI’s Stephen McGuinness at Oriel Park last night

Dundalk FC continued their preparations for the new campaign with a comfortable 6-0 win over a local selection in the Tommy McConville Memorial Match at Oriel Park last night.

Before the game the PFAI’s Stephen McGuinness – a former Lilywhite – made a presentation to the McConville family honouring Tommy’s contribution to the league over several decades.

All proceeds from the game went to the North Louth Hospice with Bill Elliott, Tony O’Kane and friends paying a remarkable €440 for a portrait of Tommy by local artist Michael Duffy.

On the field it was largely one way traffic.

Dundalk took the lead in the 15^th minute when Kurtis Byrne volleyed past Padraig Gorham.

The second goal then arrived in the 33^rd minute with local lad Simon Kelly volleying home after getting on the end of a superb cross from Darren Meenan to make it 2-0.

That’s how it remained at half-time with the third goal arriving just after the hour mark when anotehr local – Marc Griffin – made it three with a superb chip over goalkeeper Robert Arthur.

Substitute Richie Towell then made it 4-0 in the 75^th minute after slotting home a penalty following a foul on David McMillan.

Meehan then added a fifth three minutes later after getting on the end of a superb cross from Sean Gannon.

Last season’s leading scorer Pat Hoban then added a sixth with the last kick of the game to complete a comfortable win for the hosts.

There was also a late appearance from 16-year-old Irish U-17 international Georgie Poynton, who yesterday signed pro terms with the club ahead of the new season.

Dundalk FC: Cherrie (Sava), Gannon, Gartland, Mountney (Towell), Byrne (Hoban), Rossiter (O’Connor), Kelly, Meenan, Higgins (O’Donnell), Horgan (McMillan), Griffin (Poynton).

Tommy McConville XI: Gorham (Arthur), McCartney, Hutchinson, O’Kane, O’Callaghan, McArdle (Duffy), Fisher, Lynch, Smith, Clarke (Ward), McSorley.