Inside Track: O’Donnell and his team turn it around

All’s well that ends well, and what a finale Dundalk have had to the League of Ireland season. There are no trophies in the cabinet, but that’s not to say it hasn’t been a successful campaign.

Let’s turn the clock back a month or so. Having all but given up hope of making a top-two spot in the league, and after a few less than impressive performances made an ignominious exit from the FAI Cup, the Lilies were disjointed, suffering badly from the absence of key players, Pat Hoban in particular.

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Manager, Stephen O’Donnell, remained resilient, however, in the face of some strident criticism, it must be said.

There was just one realistic target, third spot in the points competition, which would bring with it a place in European football next season. Even that began to take on a forlorn look on the night the other contenders for the bronze medal, St Pat’s, came to town and took advantage of a Dundalk gamble.

A draw would have left Dundalk with lots of breathing space, but with the score at one-apiece, manager O’Donnell decided against closing up shop. He encouraged his side to go for the bundle instead, and could only curse his luck when Pat’s nipped in for a late winner.

It might not have worked out too well at the newly-named Casey’s Field that night, but nothing much has gone wrong since.

The team’s fighting spirit has come to the fore, and with other teams helping the cause by lowering Pat’s colours, a draw with Sligo and a win over Bohemians made a visit to the travel agency necessary.

There was more to come. Last Sunday night’s game at the Brandywell, the last in the campaign, wasn’t going to change anything, unless Dundalk won by three clear goals; but there was a good 2022 record against Derry to defend. Hoban was back and others were given the chance to stake a claim for a place on next season’s panel.

In the radio heads, Ger Cunningham and John Murphy’s opinion, Keith Ward’s goal was as good as there’s been all season. It came in the 9th minute and was enough to win the points and leave Dundalk on the same number of points as Derry, but both well behind Shamrock Rovers.

A word on Rovers, and in particular Sean Gannon. A great favourite at Oriel in the Stephen Kenny era, this elegant defender has now eight league titles to his credit, the last three coming in the Rovers’ hoops. That’s more than any on the great Rovers teams your writer saw in action ever won, the likes of Coad, Tuohy, Nolan, and Hennessy.

Another word, this one on the StatSports lads, Sean Connor and Alan Clarke, and Andy Connolly. They, too, can be pleased with the way things have turned out. They wouldn’t be any wealthier – quite the opposite, probably – at the end of the season’s exploits, but would get great satisfaction from the final result.

As the search for next season begins, keep that onfield leader in mind. Not someone like Johnny Giles in his days as Republic of Ireland player-manager, when the ball couldn’t go through midfield without him getting a touch on it; but maybe another Chris Shields – or maybe Shields himself – a talker, but more than anything else, an inspiration, and a very good player.