Keogh “couldn’t be more happy” after first Dundalk goal

Sean Keogh opened his senior account with a crucial goal, securing Dundalk FC’s 1-0 victory over Finn Harps in Friday night’s SSE Airtricity League First Division encounter.

The decisive strike came inside two minutes, courtesy of a free-kick awarded after Daryl Horgan was fouled by Harps wing-back Mikey Place on the edge of the penalty area.

With Horgan and Aodh Dervin also standing over the dead ball, it was 18-year-old Keogh who seized the moment, curling a sublime free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner.

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“I fancy myself over free-kicks,” a confident Keogh told The Democrat afterwards. “I wasn’t going to let anyone else step over. I grabbed it straight away and said it was mine.

“I need to chip in at some point anyways,” he laughed. “I was only dying to get a goal or an assist. I was trying to get more assists all season, but they haven’t been coming.

“I need to probably to get forward a bit more. I have been, it’s just unfortunate. As long as I can chip in, I’m happy. And then keeping the clean sheets at the back, it’s important as well.

“Enda (Minogue) at the back is so confident and a big noise behind you. I think everyone can see even watching that he’s an unbelievable ‘keeper. Vinnie (Leonard) beside me, no one would have a clue he was 16.

“Mayowa (Animasahun) and Conor (O’Keeffe) speak for themselves, they’ve been phenomenal. Not one bit of trouble comes down from them.”

Amid challenging conditions in Ballybofey, The Lilywhites, top of the First Division table after two matches, were forced to dig deep to preserve their perfect start to the season.

“It was a great win,” he continued. “It’s one of those where everyone has to put in a shift and is digging out. You have everyone doing two jobs each, covering your man behind.

“It’s really great to see, we’re only two weeks in the door and everyone’s putting in that shift. By the end of the season, when everyone’s in their flow, we’ll be flying hopefully.

“I was warned about (the pitch) and then I probably dropped another 10 centimetres walking the pitch, but we knew that’s what we were going to get up here, we knew that’s what we were going to have to deal with the whole game.

“The way they play, we knew we were going to have to deal with it and everyone just fought and got the three points.”

In what was his 13th league appearance for Dundalk, Friday’s victory over Harps marked yet another milestone for the Skerries native, as it was his first away win for the club.

This achievement comes after a challenging debut season in which the left-back made 11 appearances throughout a period that saw Dundalk not only relegated to the second tier, but also teetering on the brink of liquidation due to financial problems at Oriel Park.

“I was just happy to (play),” he reflected. “It wasn’t the best season to be breaking in, but my main goal was just to get on the pitch, get minutes. Obviously, it’s unfortunate what happened. I thought it was kind of tough for everyone really.”

Contracted until the end of 2026, he added: “We never know where football will go, but for the moment, I think it’d have to take something a lot bigger than that to knock me.

“The way (Ciaran Kilduff) has us playing, everyone together, it’s just unreal. I have the licence to go forward, as well as keeping it tight at the back. I couldn’t be more happy.”