Dundalk goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd could be set to depart Oriel Park

Dundalk FC goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd could be set to depart Oriel Park when his contract runs out at the end of the season, admits head coach Stephen O’Donnell.

The 23-year-old Welshman, who joined Dundalk from Brentford at the beginning of last year, has been free to open negotiations with interested parties since the summer, and with no fresh deal as of yet offered from The Lilywhites, it’s looking increasingly likely that Shepperd will be moving on once the campaign finishes in just over a months’ time.

Clubs in England, Ireland and Scotland are all thought to be monitoring Shepperd’s situation, with O’Donnell admitting that financial constraints, possibly amplified by no European windfall next year, could prove a stumbling block in regards player retention.

“Nathan’s no different to all our other players,” said O’Donnell.

“We haven’t opened negotiations with any players. Nathan’s a good young player. So he’s no different to anyone in relation to that.

“But obviously, we’ll assess it, like we assess the whole team.

“We have to be (afraid of losing him).

“We’re in the position that we’re in. So I’m not naive enough not to know that maybe potentially there’s other teams talking to any of our players, which they can.

“So that’s just the life of it. A big bearing would be the last few games, in regards where we’re at. “But I don’t think we’re far away.”

When asked to expand on the club’s current financial state of play, O’Donnell asserted: “That’s miles away from my thought process at the minute. Miles away.”

Shepperd was named both Players’ Player of the Year and Supporters’ Player of the Year in his debut season at Oriel last term, but has conceded 10 goals in his last three outings.

The most recent of those appearances, at the time of print, was last Friday night’s SSE Airtricity League defeat at the hands of St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park.

A dominant first-half display from The Lilywhites couldn’t yield any goals, and they were made to pay in the second period, with The Saints eventually running out 3-1 winners.

“I thought we were very good first half,” recalled O’Donnell.

“Should’ve been ahead in the game.

“It’s just been a snapshot of our season, the last three league games.

“We should be ahead in all of them, and then we just give up really, really bad goals.

“And then, without the opposition doing anything, we find ourselves two goals down from two direct balls from centre-half positions, straight ones.

“We give ourselves a mountain to climb.

“Obviously we get back in the game and have a man sent off when we have a proper foothold in the game.

“So just a very frustrating night. But it’s been a snapshot of our season.”

Dundalk found themselves 2-0 down before the hour-mark, with St Pats forward Tommy Lonergan capitalising on two direct balls from the opposite end of the field, with slack defending, from first Hayden Muller and then Greg Sloggett, leaving a lot to be desired.

“Both goals were the same,” added O’Donnell.

“We’ve just got to be better at dealing with direct balls. Obviously Pats, at half-time, didn’t want it to be a football match. They went a bit more direct. Chris (Forrester) went up with Tommy Lonergan, and we just couldn’t deal with it.

“Giving up soft goals has been a big, big, big issue this season, and it alters the momentum of the game out of nowhere. You concede without the opposition doing much work.”

Daniel Kelly pulled a goal back for Dundalk with 15 minutes to play, but 16-year-old Mason Melia restored the host’s two-goal advantage with a penalty in stoppage-time.