Dundalk keeper Minogue shines after injury layoff

Returning Dundalk FC goalkeeper Enda Minogue has revealed the mental battle he faced after being sidelined for 11 consecutive matches with a broken finger sustained in late February.

The 23-year-old shot-stopper, who joined the club from Athlone Town during the close season, made an impressive start to life at Oriel Park—keeping clean sheets in each of his first three SSE Airtricity League First Division outings.

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However, following the third of those, a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Kerry, it was discovered that the Knocklyon native had suffered a fracture that would force him out of action for nearly three months.

“Halfway through the second half I just felt a pain in my hand and thought I must’ve stumped my finger or something”, Minogue recalled in conversation with The Democrat.

“It was only when we got it checked on the Tuesday, I wasn’t able to train. Luckily, we went off and got the necessary scans and whatnot, and then we found out it was broken.

“It was more of a spiral around the finger”, he explained. “Look, it’s one of them where you haven’t got a clue how it happened—it just happened. Once it’s broken, it was just about making the right choice.

“We went for surgery, I was happy to get the surgery, and since then the rehab has been grand. I’m feeling good, I’m back playing. It was tough, but I’m delighted to be back helping the team.”

The injury struck just as Minogue was finding his rhythm for The Lilywhites, and he spoke candidly about the difficulties of being forced to watch from the sidelines for a significant portion of the season.

“It’s definitely tough,” he admitted. “It’s a mental challenge. There was a lot going on off the pitch, on the pitch. It’s hard to find that balance in life.

“Sometimes you felt like it was a tough day, but to be fair, anytime I rocked in here and I wasn’t feeling great or I was a bit down, the lads get around you.

“The group that we have this year is fantastic. Between the staff and the players, if you’re having a bit of an off day, they all get around you. It’s great to be in a place where I felt so supported, even out with the long-term injury.”

Minogue marked his long-awaited return between the posts with a hard-fought 2-1 away victory over fellow promotion contenders Cobh Ramblers, before backing it up with a commanding performance in a 2-0 win against Kerry at Oriel—where he kept a clean sheet and produced a series of impressive saves.

“It’s great to be back,” said Minogue, who has yet to concede from open play while guarding the net for Dundalk. “I’ve obviously missed playing. It’s been a quiet few weeks.

“I’m just delighted to be back. I’m grateful for everyone at the club, the staff, the S&Cs, the physios for getting me back. We’re back on the pitch two weeks now, and we have two wins, so it’s absolutely massive for me. I’m delighted.

“The gaffer worked closely with me on deciding what we do, which was to go and play with the U20s. I went and I played against Drogheda with the U20s, it wasn’t my best game by any stretch of the imagination, but I was back on the pitch and that was the main thing.

“I needed minutes, and I understood it wasn’t going to be a thing where I just come back from injury. I had to earn the jersey off Peter (Cherrie), and I know Peter is breathing down my back.

“It’s nice to be back on the pitch and feeling every week that I’m getting fitter.”