The Commentary Box: Dundalk retain the Malone Cup

It was a good week on and off the pitch for Dundalk FC. On the pitch, Dundalk retained the Malone Cup with a 4-2 win on penalties against Drogheda.

The game was played in Abbotstown, behind closed doors, after Drogheda could not play it at Sullivan and Lambe Park, because of the heavy rain during the week. Drogheda went in front in the first half with a good goal from Leo Burney.

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But Danny Mullen struck for Dundalk midway through the second half for an equaliser. The former Derry City striker has been banging in the goals for Dundalk in the pre-season.

Like so many games played in this competition, it went to penalties after the game finished one a piece. Drogheda have won it on penalties so many times. This time, Dundalk clinched it, winning 4-2.

Conor Kearns took off two excellent saves in the shootout, while the Dundalk penalty takers were all on target. It was a huge pity, the game could not go ahead in Drogheda.

But they had no choice but to cancel the game with the deluge of rain that hit the area last week. It was great that Abbotstown could be used, even though a large amount of supporters were left very disappointed.

A big crowd was expected for the game. However, Dundalk fans at least have the consolation that their team has got one over their arch rivals so early in the season.

Off the field, Dundalk got great news on Thursday morning when it emerged that the new artificial pitch has got the go-ahead to be used for games in the new season, which starts this Friday.

The news was revealed by a member of the club's committee, Joe McGuinness, with supporters in Oriel on Thursday evening. Joe said that the club were being very diligent in complying with all regulations required.

He confirmed that the pitch had received its certification that morning from the Scottish company that had been working on it. It still has to be certified by UEFA. It was revealed that work on the lights was on schedule.

However, those days were being lost with the bad weather. He confirmed that last year the total strength of the bulbs were 200. They must be 800 for TV.

The new lights will have an even better strength than that. There will be 1,000. This is fantastic news. It's going to make some difference to a floodlight game at Oriel Park. There will also be additional lights on the main stand.

It was revealed that work on the third infrastructural project was improving the away dressing rooms. Work on this has now been ongoing for a week and is continuing. The project that will follow this is improving the toilet facilities at Oriel.

The club must also get an engineering certificate that Oriel Park is a safe place. The certificate needs to guarantee, as part of the licence, that there are sufficient toilets for both home and away fans. A fire alarm is also needed for the main stand.

The certificate is conditional on three factors. These include the proper toilets to be installed, an electrical cert for the main stand, a fire alarm for the main stand and also emergency lighting to be installed on the stand as well.

Drainage around the ground was also surveyed by CCTV. There were puddles that were clearly visible around the ground. There was a sewer that ran in front of the stand. It serves the whole building and a local business beside Oriel Park.

The survey of the sewer showed that it had been blocked by two pairs of male underpants and a mobile phone. It is also only four inches in width. A nine-inch pipe must be installed.

Work on installing new piping for the sewer is starting. It will take two weeks. Work on the disability section is also starting. The FAI have insisted a wheelchair facility can not be placed pitchside.

There is planning permission in for two new toilets. One is at the away end. The other is at the home end. They are modular toilets normally seen on a building site. Planning permission has been put in for these toilets.

Planning permission is also being sought for other new proposed toilets as well. Grants are being given for these new toilets. Work on the repairing of nine of the 18 cubical toilets in the ground is also to start.

The disability fans zone is to be moved at the request of the FAI. People with wheelchairs are not allowed to be pitch side.

The supporters will be located beside the small wall at the same location in front of the main stand. where they are normally located. This will be a pilot measure.

The infrastructure committee will also be hoping to avail of new grants coming forward. They will be considering such projects as move the away end, or do they put in new terracing.

The committee will also be looking at the possibility of putting a stand behind the Carrickmacross end goals.

It's exciting times for the infrastructural changes that have taken place during the close season. It's amazing to think that the sewer in front of the main stand has been blocked for years. That will be sorted in the coming weeks.

It will take two weeks to sort. It's great that there is a fire alarm and other safety measures being installed in the main stand. Oriel Park is being brought forward from 1967 to 2026.

But I just wonder how many Premier Division clubs have improved their toilets in that past two years. My memories of a number of them are that they are an absolute disgrace.

I wonder has there been any changes. I doubt it. The FAI are right to look for an Engineering safety cert from Dundalk. I wonder how many other Premier Division clubs have them. I know a number that, in my opinion, would not get such a cert.

Executive director Chris Clinton spoke to the supporters via a Zoom link from the United States. Mr Clinton said that the club went through turbulent times recently, Brian Ainscough had exited. John Temple came in.

He praised Mr Temple by saying he had done great things for the club. Mr Clinton says that his motivation was to ensure that the club got the Premier Division licence. He said that this was the reason why he got directly involved.

There was also work to be done on the infrastructure. He said that local involvement was needed. This was why the Trust were brought back into the fold. Mr Clinton says he is delighted with the progress that has been made.

He is very happy with the new pitch that has been installed and looking forward to the full installation of the new flood lighting system. Chris says that he believes that Dundalk will have the best playing surface facility when all the work is complete.

He says that anyone who criticises the new Oriel Park pitch does not know what they are talking about. He is confident that everything is coming together for the club.

The executive director says that he believes that Dundalk have the best young coach in the league. He says that Ciaran Kilduff has done everything that has been asked of him.

He said that Dundalk have a very difficult start to the league, with both Shamrock Rovers and Derry City in the first two games of the season.

He is looking forward to the first home game of the season, against Drogheda. He says there is nothing better to start a home campaign than to playing their south Louth neighbours.

He said that there was a management committee meeting held on Saturday, which was looking at the club for the future and what can be done over the next few years.

They looked at what can be done for the supporters in the future. He also says that they would also be looking at what can be done about future facilities for away supporters.

He also said that the way was open for the Connolly family to get involved in the club again in the future should they so wish. He says he also regrets comments made about the Ogle family at a press conference in Oriel last season.

He says Dundalk FC regret those comments. Mr Clinton says the connection between the Ogle family and the club goes back many years. He wants that connection to continue for many more.

The manager Ciaran Kilduff says that every one of his players are fit and ready to go for the new season, which starts in three days against Shamrock Rovers.

"Shane Tracey has returned to fitness and should be okay. He missed a lot of pre-season with his quad, as did Vinnie Leonard. The players are nearly all back now. We are ready for the game in Tallaght. There is nothing of obvious concern.

"I do not know if Vinnie Leonard will be fit for Tallaght in three days' time. He has also been hit by a quad injury. But Vinnie is a serious player for us. We will not be giving up hope that he will not be fit for Friday.

"I am delighted with the players that I have been able to assemble for life in the Premier Division. I am also, of course, delighted at the response of the club. Rob Cornwall is a great signing. He is a serious defender.

"We have three centre halves in Harvey, Mayowa and Vinnie. Rob is another boost to us. Our other centre halves are aged 22,20, and 17. Rob is 31. He just was a great signing.

"I am not worried about the injury difficulties Keith Buckley had last season. He is fully fit for us and has done very well in the pre-season. Looking at him in training, you would never think that he has had a serious ACL injury.

"I am delighted with the signing of Conor Kearns. He did well in the Leinster Senior Cup game against Athlone. He also had a very good game against Drogheda in Abbotstown on Friday. He is a league-winning keeper.

"He brought a great deal of calm to our defence in the Drogheda game and in the Athlone game eight days ago. I have a team that will have a strong defence.

"But we are going to need it. We will need a strong defensive unit from the goalkeeper to the other defenders and even midfielders.

"I am very close to Eoin Kenny. I was always confident that if he did not get anything from a club outside Ireland, he would return to Dundalk. He has scored five goals in pre-season. Eoin is buzzing.

"Declan McDaid was a player who really impressed when he came in last July. He proved he could score goals then, and he has scored at least two in the pre-season. Declan is a good defender and also very strong in midfield.

"We have to stay calm if we go through a weak patch of form in the league. But no doubt we will win games as well. Tallaght will be tough against the champions. But I think that we might surprise a few.

"It's a good time to get Rovers at the start of the season. It's a great time where we might catch Rovers by surprise. They are the best team in the county."

The proof will be in the pudding is whether we have assembled as good a team as last season. We must remain calm when things do get difficult, stay calm. We must take our chances.

We must learn to put the opposition away. We have got to keep proving to ourselves that we can build up our points.

And we must aim to finish in as high a place as possible. I have to stay calm also as have the supporters. Next Friday is a time when we can spring a surprise. That will be the plan.

"People must remember that Rovers are the best team in the country. They reached the league phase of the Europa Conference League this season. They won the league and the cup last season.

"They have won the league five times out of six times in the past six seasons. Rovers also have a top-class manager in Stephen Bradley. He is currently the best manager in the League of Ireland.

"But you have to remember that nobody is exempt from going through a bad time. Rovers were in the First Division in 2006. They got promotion.

"But it took them years to win their first trophy back in the Premier Division and then go on and dominate the league."

Vice captain Aodh Dervin says it's great to see the wave of good feeling going through the club. He told me it was all going in the right direction.

"I never doubted that we would get our promotion because the manager ingrained that into us. The year before was a bad year, and that could have been used two ways. We used it to go for promotion.

"This went through the whole club from the start. It was a great year. But it is a different beast this year. I think that things are looking good for us. We have brought in some really good players as well.

"It's a great time to be around Dundalk. It's a great time to be playing for Dundalk. I can not wait for the Rovers game. I wish it was tomorrow. But we have only another few days to wait.

"The manager has done well to keep the corps of last year's team and added key experience as well. I thought at one stage we did need to bring in some added experience as the squad was very young.

"TJ and Declan really steadied the squad, and we went on to get promotion. They will be a great help again this year.

"We have brought in experience this year that I think will surprise those think that we will go straight back down. The manager is doing a fabulous job.

"I will use the fact that we were relegated in 2024 as a motivator, the same way as we used it last season. But people will not have to worry about me. I think this year will be a better year than 2024, and I have no doubt that it will be.

"The unity among the new management committee and the supporters was there for all to be seen tonight.

"Add in the unity of the players with these two groups, and we are and will be a force. This year, we want to do special things as players for the club.

"We start against Shamrock Rovers, and no doubt they are an unbelievable team. We will, of course, respect them. But as the manager has said, we will not fear Shamrock Rovers. The following week, we have Derry in the Brandywell.

"But there is not going to be an easy game this year. Everybody is in this division for a reason. Every week and every game will be like a war for us.

"There are 36 of them. I am very confident that we can stay in the Premier Division. We will be flying Gerry, do not worry."

On a final note, Vinnie Leonard has missed most of the pre-season games. He has had a quad injury. The manager is confident that he will be fit for the Tallaght game in three days' time.

I have left Vinnie to last because, as I write this, I do not know if his transfer to a UK club has gone ahead. Crystal Palace, Brighton, Celtic and Watford were among the clubs very keen on Vinnie.

The deal, wherever he goes, had to have gone through by midnight last night, Monday. I am writing this on midnight Sunday. All the signals are that the deal will go through. Vinnie could go for a fee of around 700,000 euro or just a small bit more.

It will also include very generous add-ons for the club. I really hope this happens for both Vinnie and the club. Dundalk are also hopeful that whatever club Vinnie goes to, that he will be allowed to stay on for the entire season.

He can not leave now, as he is only 17. But Vinnie will be able to move on in July should his new club want that to happen.
Dundalk have not beaten Shamrock Rovers in the league at Tallaght since 2019.

They won the league that season with Vinny Perth. I wish the manager, the team, the management committee and of course, you, the supporters, the very best for the season.

Let's make the Dublin media sit up and take notice of us again for all the right reasons. As I said already, MOGA. Let's Make Oriel Great again. Have a great week. Please look after each other. And remember to please be careful out there.