Stephen O'Donnell reflects on Dundalk's start to the season

Stephen O’Donnell was delighted to see his Dundalk FC side pick up a 1-0 win against Drogheda United at Weavers Park last Thursday night in the SSE Airtricity League.

The Lilywhites were defeated in both of their visits to Drogheda last season, but three points kept them sitting third in the table coming into this week’s international break. 

A superbly worked goal from Connor Malley in the 65th minute proved decisive, with Dundalk now picking up ten points from a possible 12 in their last four league matches.

“Drogheda took points against all the top teams,” said O’Donnell. “They beat Sligo and drew with Shamrock Rovers. So you can see it’s a little bit of a fortress here. They play well here. It’s a tight pitch, not conducive to expansive football, but we found a way.

“We showed good quality. Andy (Boyle) stepping in for the goal, stopping a potentially dangerous counter-attack, finding Ray (Tulloch). Ray showed great feet, really talented, didn’t overdo it, dropped it back to Connor, and then Connor, lovely crisp side-foot finish. So we possessed that quality and it was a goal that I felt deserved to win a derby.”

Reflecting on the first six games this season, O’Donnell is pleased to have seen his team keep three clean sheets in their last four matches, particularly the last two on the road.  

“It is (pleasing). They’re two tough places to have back-to-back away games (against Derry City and Drogheda). As I said, I’d like to have more control of the game, that we don’t have to show that resoluteness or defending the box in a little sort of scramble, so we’ll get there.

"But from the point of view of defending our box and being hard to score against, exceptional. And a real good will to keep a clean sheet and a will to win.”

A first victory away from home was also pleasing on the eye of O’Donnell, especially considering The Lilywhites didn’t win any of their opening seven on the road in 2022.

“Any team with aspirations, you have to win your fair share. Your away form has to be good. So we know that’s an area we need to improve on. So we’ve got four out of our last two in tough places, Derry away and Drogheda away, so that’s good.

"But again, delighted with the ten points from the last four games. But we know there’s going to be a lot of improvement from us too. Just have more domination, more control of the game. Play the game and be controlled in their half. I never felt we had a full foothold of the game and that’s the level we will get to, of just having domination of a game.”

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O’Donnell says Daniel Kelly’s injury sustained against Derry the previous week is not as serious as first feared, and that he is expected to be available when the league resumes.

He also offered a fresh update on Robbie McCourt, Hayden Muller, Paul Doyle and Louie Annesley, who will miss Gibraltar’s upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers due to an illness.

“Dickie’s not serious, but obviously any little muscle twinge, a six-day turnaround isn’t going to be realistic. Robbie McCourt just felt his hamstring a little bit tight. Hayden Muller was sick on the bus on the way to the game, so he was a late scratch, just came on for the last couple of minutes.

“Louie should be available to train. He just got a bit of an infection, but he’s okay. He won’t be going away with Gibraltar. Paul Doyle will be in around the back end of the international break. And obviously John (Mountney) is a longstanding one. But I’d like to think everyone else will be in around it.”