Ebbe-solute confidence: Dundalk striker embraces favourites tag

Free-scoring striker Dean Ebbe says Dundalk FC must embrace their role as favourites in every encounter they face throughout this year’s SSE Airtricity League First Division.

Before a ball was even kicked, The Lilywhites were hailed as the bookmakers’ top choice to secure a quick return to the Premier Division following their relegation last season.

They have lived up to that billing in their opening five fixtures of 2025, with Ciaran Kilduff’s side remaining unbeaten and firmly perched atop the First Division table.

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“We’re the favourites going into every game this year,” Ebbe told The Democrat as he looked ahead to this Friday night’s fixture versus Longford Town at Oriel Park (kick-off: 7.45pm).

“You can never take a team lightly, no matter what. Kerry finished bottom of the league last year, and we only beat them 1-0. I know we were down to 10 men, but anything can happen in those games.”

In their latest outing, a 3-1 win over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds, Clondalkin native Ebbe extended his scoring streak, finding the net for the third consecutive game.

The 30-year-old, who topped the First Division scoring charts in 2024 with an impressive tally of 17 league goals for Athlone Town (20 in all competitions), started his Dundalk career without finding the net in either of his opening two league appearances.

However, he has since rediscovered his scoring touch, hitting the target against Athlone, Treaty United, and most recently, Bray, in a standout performance from The Lilywhites.

“It was a good performance from us, probably one of our best,” Ebbe said afterwards. “I felt we were dominant. There were a few chances I probably should have scored as well, but obviously, three points is the main thing, so we’re happy enough.

“We were disappointed with last week (against Treaty). We were 2-0 up and conceded two late goals. We were just hungry to get back into a game. The best thing is you always have a game next week. We were lucky enough to have another game, and we were all dying to play again, basically.

“That’s the standard we’re setting this year—not happy with a draw, especially with the manner of the draw as well. There are so many young lads who are experienced and basically men already. You go through the whole team—they’re all 19, 20-year-olds. They’re fitting in well, and it’s up to us old lads to try and help them along the way.”

Reflecting on his third league goal of the campaign, he remarked: “The longer it gets, the more it’s in your head, but lucky enough, I’m after getting a goal in the last three games, so hopefully, it keeps going.”

Before joining Dundalk from Athlone, the well-travelled Ebbe had spells with Shamrock Rovers, Longford, and Cabinteely, as well as a stint in the Irish League with Crusaders.

His CV also boasts a prolific spell in the Welsh Premier League with The New Saints and then Bala Town, during which he netted 52 goals across 117 competitive appearances.

Additionally, he featured in the Scottish Premiership with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, while a venture in Gibraltar with Manchester 62 preceded his League of Ireland return.

Selecting Oriel as the stage for the next chapter of his career was influenced largely by the fact Kilduff—a prolific striker in his own playing days—is now the Dundalk manager.

“That’s one of the reasons why I came here, because he was a striker,” explained Ebbe. “He gives me little small bits of information on the pitch that I don’t really know. He’s feeding me some information, which has helped me a lot, so it’s good to have him there.

“I love it,” he added. “As soon as I went in, you could just feel it’s right, the professionalism of the club. I wasn’t here last year, I don’t know what happened last year, the ins and outs, but this year, everyone is together, and everyone wants to do well and win the league, basically.

“That’s the main thing in the group—everyone is together. The sessions are sometimes tougher than the games because everyone wants to win every game. There are good standards driven.”