Dundalk finally got their hands on the Premier Division title they retained earlier this month when they ran out 4-0 winners against Bray Wanderers at Oriel Park tonight.
The result also meant a new record for the Lilywhites who have now scored the most goals in a League of Ireland season
Strikes from Ciaran Kilduff and Daryl Horgan had Stephen Kenny’s side 2-0 up after just nine minutes but it took a late brace from Richie Towell to take Dundalk’s goal tally for the campaign to 78 – one more than the previous record set by Shamrock Rovers in 1922/23.
Kilduff set the ball rolling when he tapped in Darren Meenan’s cross in the fifth minute before Horgan added a second four minutes later after a slack back pass.
Despite plenty of pressure, the third goal didn’t arrive until 10 minutes from the end though when Towell slotted home a penalty.
He then fired home in the 89th minute for his 25th league goal of the season and Dundalk’s record breaking 78th.
Captain Stephen O’Donnell collected the title afterwards and here’s hoping he’s lifting the FAI Cup as well on Sunday week.
Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke has confirmed his interest in Dundalk FC midfielder Richie Towell.
The 24-year-old’s 26 goals this season have caught the eye of the League Two outfit with a link to Bristol made by The Sun today.
Interest was then confirmed by Clarke to the Bristol Post this lunchtime.
He said: “Richie has a good pedigree and is the sort of player who might fit the mould we are looking for.
“We have heard some good things about him, but we want to have a look for ourselves and that is probably the next step in the process.
“Steve (Yates) has been out and about looking at several potential targets since taking up his new role recently and I’d anticipate that he will probably going over to Ireland to cast an eye over Richie at some point in the future.
“That is where we are at with it and anybody who says we are any further ahead in the process or talking about deals or wages at this moment in time would be jumping the gun.”
Seven Dundalk players have been named in the PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year.
The entire Dundalk defence of Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle and Dane Massey is included along with midfielders Daryl Horgan, Stephen O’Donnell and the league’s top scorer, Richie Towell.
In goal is Drogheda Utd’s Micheal Schlingermann, with St Patrick’s Athletic’s James Chambers in midfield, Shamrock Rovers’ Brandon Miele on the right wing and Mark O’Sullivan of Cork City up front.
Horgan, O’Donnell and Towell are nominated for the PFAI Player of the Year along with O’Sullivan while Gannon is up for the Young Player of the Year prize alongside Miele and Bohemians’ Ismahil Akinade.
The winners will be announced at the annual PFAI awards on Friday November 20th.
Last year six Dundalk players were included in the team, including the departed Pat Hoban. O’Donnell and Massey are new additions this year.
Champions Dundalk were held to only their second scoreless draw of the season against relegation threatened Galway Utd at Oriel Park last night.
Stephen Kenny made five changes to the side which clinched the league title away to Shamrock Rovers the previous week with John Mountney, Shane Grimes, Sean Maguire, Ciaran Kilduff and Gabriel Sava all coming into the side in place of Gary Rogers, Dane Massey, David McMillan, Daryl Horgan and Richie Towell, who was sidelined by plurisy.
Mountney and Horgan hit the post in either half but Galway were full value for their point with Sava making two good saves from Jake Keegan.
Next up for the Lilywhites is a trip to face Cork City next Friday.
Dundalk top scorer Richie Towell will miss tonight’s clash with Galway Utd at Oriel Park after being diagnosed with pleurisy.
The midfielder is hoping to return to full training on Monday, however, after initial fears that he could miss next month’s FAI Cup final.
Towell was out shopping with his girlfriend Kelly earlier in the week when he was struck with chest pains that saw him require immediate medical attention.
The 24-year-old was struggling for breath and there were initial concerns that he had suffered a collapsed lung.
However, he has since been diagnosed with pleurisy – an inflamation around the lungs which causes sharp chest pain.
According to The Irish Independent, doctors believe it may have been a delayed reaction to a heavy knock in last Friday’s clash with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght, a game which saw him score from the spot late on to secure the league title for Stephen Kenny’s side.
Meanwhile, tickets for the FAI Cup final against Cork City on Sunday November 8th will be on sale from Oriel Park before and after tonight’s game with Galway Utd.
Dundalk FC celebrate their title success in Tallaght last night
History was created in Tallaght Stadium last night as Dundalk FC secured the result required to retain the title for the first time in their history.
It looked as though Shamrock Rovers were going to put celebrations on hold for Stephen Kenny’s side when Danny North scored from close range just after the restart after Brandon Miele’s effort had been pushed into his path by Gary Rogers.
However, a Pat Cregg foul on Darren Meenan saw Dundalk awarded a penalty in the 84th minute with Richie Towell dispatching it to the bottom right hand corner to make it 1-1.
That result, coupled with Cork City’s failure to beat Drogheda Utd in United Park, means Dundalk have won the league with three games to spare.
The 800 Dundalk fans who made the trip to Tallaght Stadium had to wait for the final whistle from United Park to confirm the title triumph but when news of it came through there was euphoric scenes with the players hoisting manager Stephen Kenny in the air.
Credit to local Dundalk supporter Ruairí Murphy, son of club historian Jim, who came up with this hilarious picture in the build-up to tomorrow’s clash between the Lilywhites and Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium.
With Stephen Kenny’s side having a chance to win the league on the night with a victory, Ruairí brilliantly captures the Dundalk manager at the head of a Luas on the way to Tallaght with players Richie Towell, Stephen O’Donnell and Andy Boyle on board, as well as local celebrities Freddy Fyffes, Maxi and David Keenan.
Looking on glumly are Rovers boss Pat Fenlon and Cork City manager John Caulfield, whose side Dundalk will meet in the FAI Cup final in the Aviva Stadium next month.
Tomorrow’s game against Shamrock Rovers is live on RTÉ Two at 7.45pm.
Richie Towell, Dundalk FC, with his SSE Airtricity/SWAI Player of the Month Award for September 2015.
Dundalk midfielder Richie Towell has been named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month for September.
The announcement was made at an event in the Davenport Hotel in Dublin this morning with the 24-goal midfielder contributing to four Dundalk wins throughout the month, during which he scored six goals in two games, including four against Drogheda Utd and a brace in the come-from-behind victory away to Limerick FC.
Towell can back up a fantastic month by helping Dundalk to retain their league title with victory away to Shamrock Rovers tomorrow night.
The 24-year-old admits it has been a great season for him personally and hopes his side can win the title tomorrow so that they can start preparing for the FAI Cup final and trying to secure a double.
“How well we’re doing as a team is unbelievable and to get a personal award is always nice too,” Towell said.
“I was lucky enough to score a couple of goals over the month so I was delighted.
“We have a lot to look forward to with the cup final and closing in on the league. Hopefully I can get a few more goals before the end of the season.
“It will be nice no matter where we win it. We want to win it as soon as possible and it just so happens that it is against Rovers up in Tallaght.
“Hopefully we bring a good crowd and put on a good show with the game on TV too.
“The double is something we set out to do at the start of the season.
“We set very high standards for ourselves and winning back-to-back titles is really hard but it is something we are on course for now.
“I haven’t had a trip to the Aviva since I’ve been in the league so it’s nice to end the season with some big games.”
Towell reckons this has been the best season of his career and now wants to end it on a high.
“It’s been a great season for us as a club and for me personally on and off the pitch it’s been brilliant,” he added.
“I’m expecting a baby in a few weeks so it’s been unbelievable. Things are going really well for me at the moment and hopefully we can end the season well.”
In winning the award, Towell fended off competition from Wexford Youths striker Danny Furlong who finished second in the voting. Towell’s Dundalk team-mate Ronan Finn was third.
This is the second time this season the 24-year-old has been named Player of the Month after also scooping the prize in April.
In total he has now won the award four times, after previous wins in July 2014 and August 2013.
Dundalk recovered from the worst possible start to run out 3-1 winners away to bottom of the table Limerick FC in Markets Field last night.
The victory, inspired by three goals in six minutes in the closing quarter, means Stephen Kenny’s side are one win away from retaining the title for the first time in the club’s history – a feat they will manage by beating Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on October 9th.
Dundalk had to do things the hard way as they fell behind to a Dean Clarke goal inside the opening two minutes.
The visitors pressed hard for an equaliser after that but it didn’t arrive until the 76th minute when Richie To well raced onto Ciaran Kilduff’s knock down to slot home.
Towell then made it a club record 21 league goals for the campaign four minutes later when his deflected shot from a tight angle flew to the net.
Kilduff then made sure of the win two minutes later by beating the offside trap to slot home.
Dundalk FC’s Andy Boyle showcases the Irish cover of the FIFA 16 game which features him and Derry City loanee Ciaran O’Connor
Two Dundalk players will appear on the cover of this year’s FIFA 16 game following a public vote.
Centre back Andy Boyle will be joined on the cover by Derry City’s Ciaran O’Connor, who is on loan at the Candystripes until the end of the season when he will return to his hometown club. Both appear alongside Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
This is the third successive year that a Dundalk player has appeared on the cover of the EA Sports game, following on from Pat Hoban on FIFA 14 and Richie Towell on FIFA 15.
The unveiling of the cover was made at HMV on Henry Street today with the game going on sale at midnight tonight. Smyth’s toy store in Dundalk Retail Park is one of several outlets which will be open for the launch. The Irish cover will then be available to download for free at http://www.easports.com/fifa
Meanwhile, Dundalk FC captain Stephen O’Donnell was today unveiled as the new soccer coach at Dundalk IT.
This is expected to be the 29-year-old’s first step towards a career in coaching and management when his playing days are over.
Stephen O’Donnell, with Dundalk IT president Denis Cummins and members of the Dundalk IT soccer team at his unveiling as the college’s coach this afternoon
Dundalk finally got their hands on the Premier Division title they retained earlier this month when they ran out 4-0 winners against Bray Wanderers at Oriel Park tonight.
Talk of the Town 