“We need to come together as a town” says Dundalk defender Animasahun 

Mayowa Animasahun admits he does not know where his future lies – but the Dundalk FC defender has urged the townspeople to get behind the club ahead of next season.

The 21-year-old was at the heart of The Lilywhites’ first clean sheet since June on Friday night, as they ended their 16-season run in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division with a scoreless draw against Louth neighbours Drogheda United at Weavers Park.

Relegated Dundalk haven’t tasted victory since beating second-from-bottom Drogheda 4-2 at Oriel Park back in July – and a series of missed chances in their latest outing on Friday extended The Lilywhites’ winless streak to 13 matches across all competitions.

“I think it’s just the luck between both boxes, to be honest,” Animasahun told The Democrat afterwards. “It probably tells the story of our season, where we just haven’t taken our chances really, but keeping a clean sheet would be a positive, so we’ll take that.

“It’s probably a well overdue clean sheet to be fair. We’ll take the positives as they come. There hasn’t been many recently, so we can end the season as upwardly as possible.”

Despite the disappointment of relegation, ex-Glenmuir United schoolboy Animasahun has enjoyed his best run in the Dundalk team since making his debut in 2021 – totalling 21 appearances in 2024, from which he was named in the starting line-up 18 times.

The Avenue Road native hopes his rise from the academy into the first-team can inspire the next generation of graduates throughout what he believes can be a brighter future.

“There’s positives to look forward to, even the young fellas on the bench, we’ve got incredible quality with the young boys. I’m 21, but I almost feel like a senior player the boys are that young. They’re coming to you and saying they’re born in 2010, 2008 and I’m thinking, jeez. There is a better future there for the club, a hundred percent.”

While nine players are contracted to remain at Oriel for next season’s First Division, Animasahun’s current deal ran out following the end of Friday’s 0-0 draw in Drogheda.

“I probably think it’s too early for the conversation now,” he replied when asked about his own future, before reflecting on what has been a tumultuous year off the pitch.

He added: “The focus is on everyone buying into what John Temple is proposing to keep the club afloat. I just think we all need to come together as a town, work together to make sure this club is where we can be and we can stand on our own two feet.

“I probably can’t comment on (my future) at the moment, but this club should not be in a position where it needs to be on a deadline of liquidation or whatever.

“We were faced with this predicament a few months ago. We turned up to training, it was a Tuesday, and we actually thought we were going to pack our boots up with us.

“It’s not acceptable for a club of this standard or this size to ever be on its knees. It should never have happened and it should never ever happen again.

“We need to come together as a town. We have come together as a town, which is great to see, but in general, I think it’s unacceptable from the history we have to everything we’ve put together. It should never have happened and it should never happen again.”