Promotion ‘would mean so much’ to Dundalk captain Horgan

Dundalk FC captain Daryl Horgan says that promotion from the SSE Airtricity League First Division would mean “so much” to him as The Lilywhites enter the decisive final quarter of their season.

Following results over the August Bank Holiday weekend and last Friday night, Dundalk are now mathematically assured of at least a top-five finish and a playoff berth, yet with a six-point advantage over second-placed Cobh Ramblers and only nine matches remaining, they have their sights set firmly on the First Division title and automatic promotion.

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For Horgan, who marked his 33rd birthday on Sunday, the achievement would serve as personal redemption, having been part of the side relegated last season and having vowed on the night of their demotion — after a 2-0 defeat to Derry City at Oriel Park — to help guide Dundalk back to the Premier Division.

“So much, so much,” he replied, when asked by The Democrat what promotion would mean to him on a personal level. “The First Division is a league that’s becoming a lot more difficult.

“With the young talent now not going to England, a lot of them are getting opportunities in the First Division. There’s good players — really good players.

“The quicker you can get out is the ideal scenario. You see Cobh — they’ve strengthened now in the break — Bray have strengthened. There is money being put in because the rewards of the Premier Division are so great, so it’s only going to improve next year.

“There’s 10 big teams in that Premier Division, there’s a minimum of one coming down, so to be in a position where we can get out of it is fantastic. It would be amazing if we could, and be huge for me personally — first year as captain — and I want to lift that trophy.”

Dundalk’s last two outings at Oriel yielded emphatic victories — a 4-1 triumph over Longford Town swiftly followed, just four days later, by a 6-1 dismantling of Athlone Town, in which Horgan had a penalty saved — yet Cobh, their opponents on the final night of the season, have remained in close pursuit with a 4-0 home win against Wexford and a 2-0 away success over third-placed Bray Wanderers.

With 50 goals scored and only 20 conceded in 27 outings, The Lilywhites share, alongside Cobh, the league’s most prolific attack while standing alone with the stingiest defence in the division.

“If you had offered me this at the start of the year, I would’ve taken your hand off for it,” said Horgan. “Six points ahead, and nine points from a three-game week, is massive. UCD away was a very, very tough game, and we’ve gone there and played very well.

“I’m delighted with how it went. We’ve been disappointed with our Friday-Mondays this year when we’ve not picked up the points we wanted, so we’re very happy with this one.

“To come here (against Athlone) and pick up another three points is huge. What we’ve got next is Treaty in two weeks, so we need to do the work, we need to make sure we’re ready for that, and that’s going to be another really, really difficult game.

“There’s nine more difficult games this year, and we need to be up for everyone. It’s just the next one, the next one, the next one — that’s all we can do. The next one is Treaty, and that’s what our focus is going to be on.”

Treaty United — where Horgan’s brother, Cristopher, is among the panel — remain the only First Division side Dundalk have yet to overcome this season, with all three previous meetings seeing The Lilywhites take the lead only for the Limerick outfit to rally and snatch a late equaliser.

Horgan recognises that Dundalk must be prepared to win ugly, not just against Treaty, but throughout the demanding run-in.

“You win, no matter how you win, and that’s crucial,” he said. “I don’t want to go back to last year, but last year there were times where we played really well.

“This year it’s been the opposite; sometimes we haven’t played well, but we’ve gunged out and held in. We’ve defended resolutely, put bodies on the line, and pushed boundaries of each other and what we expect of each other.

“For that, it’s been an amazing season so far, but there’s nine games to go. We’ve seen much bigger leads slip than this, so it’s going to be tough. Obviously, we go to Cobh on the last day, but all we can focus on now is Treaty because that’s all we can affect now.”