Opening night test awaits Dundalk against Shamrock Rovers

Dundalk FC return to the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division on Friday night with a daunting opening test away to reigning champions Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium (kick-off, 8pm).

Live on Virgin Media Television, The Lilywhites face a stern challenge against The Hoops — last season’s league and FAI Cup double winners — but Dundalk, back in the top flight as First Division champions, will relish a historically charged trip to Dublin 24.

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It has been seven years since Dundalk last claimed a league victory in Tallaght, but Ciaran Kilduff believes his eager and ambitious side can spring a surprise on opening night.

“It’s the two most historic clubs in the country for titles, FAI Cups, European trailblazers — everything,” the Dundalk manager reflected at the club’s season launch.

“What a game, on the tele. As I said, the two most historically achieved clubs. We’ve had great memories ourselves in Tallaght Stadium. We’ll go there, we’ll give them everything.

“I think we’re waiting in the long grass as a club, I do. The team we’ve assembled, we’re all fighting for everything. It’s been hard behind the scenes, but we’re ready to fight now too, and let’s see how we go.”

Dundalk enter the new season with the backbone of last year’s First Division title-winning squad intact, strengthened by seven new additions, and although bookmakers list them as favourites for relegation, Kilduff believes they are more than capable of avoiding the drop.

“I can assure you we’re in a really good place,” he said. “I’m very happy with things. We’re still critiquing stuff, and there’s stuff we have to get right.

“It’s going to take a round of games. ‘Would you take eighth?’ is the question I keep getting. Look, probably the smart person would say, yeah, because I know what it means. It means you secure yourself, and you get stability for the club, and that’s important.

“Let’s get through a round of games. Let’s size everybody up. Let’s see how many points we can get — we’ll never have a harder round than the first round, the way fixtures are played — and then we’ll set goals. I’m really happy with where we’re at as a group.

“We’re the favourites to be relegated. Four of the first five are away. We have millions of things to be negative about, but we’re alive, we’re in the Premier Division, and I wouldn’t be betting against us.”

In their second fixture, Dundalk travel to face last season’s runners-up, Derry City, who secured a 1-0 victory over this week’s opponents, Shamrock Rovers, in the President’s Cup over the weekend.

The club’s first Premier Division match back at Oriel Park comes the following week, on February 20th, when Louth rivals Drogheda United visit, seeking revenge after losing the Jim Malone Cup final 4-2 on penalties.

The match, moved to Abbotstown due to a waterlogged pitch in Drogheda, had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Danny Mullen finding the net for The Lilywhites.

“That’s just a special night,” Kilduff said, turning his thoughts to the Louth derby later this month. “Your return to the Premier Division, your first home game, the Louth derby.

“You know that fixture is the one Dundalk fans look out for. We should be able to sell it out 20 times over, with the road we’ve had to get back there, and we’ve got loads of them this year.

“Every game, as I said, Rovers, Derry away, the lure of James McClean is now with Derry, so there’s loads happening in the league. It’s a brilliant time to be in the Premier Division now, and the first home game, I’m expecting it to be noisy.”