Dundalk FC boss Kilduff: "It's going to be a really tough game"
Lilywhites manager Ciarán Kilduff looks ahead to Waterford C game tonight
Dundalk FC return to League of Ireland Men's Premier Division action tonight when they travel to the RSC to face Waterford FC at 7.45pm.
Ciarán Kilduff’s side make the trip sitting fourth in the table and eight points clear of eighth-placed Waterford, who have 32 points.
The Lilywhites will be looking for a response after their FAI Cup hopes were ended in a 4-2 defeat by Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium last Sunday.
Waterford go into the game on the back of an impressive cup weekend after a 3-0 quarter-final victory over Sligo Rovers secured their place in the last four.
Last three meetings between the sides:
26th June 2026: Dundalk FC 2-3 Waterford FC
4th May 2026: Waterford FC 3-3 Dundalk FC
13th March 2026: Dundalk FC 5-0 Waterford FC
Speaking ahead of the game, Kilduff predicts a tough game against the Blues. He told the official club website, “We're looking forward to travelling to Waterford.
“It's going to be a really tough game against arguably the form team in the division at the moment. Since Graham came in, they've had a really successful run, and you can see the confidence they're playing with.
“Our games against Waterford this season have always been entertaining. We've managed to score goals against them, but they've also shown that they're more than capable of scoring themselves, so it should make for another good game on Friday night.
“We're reasonably happy with our league position at the moment, but obviously we were disappointed to go out of the FAI Cup on Sunday. The important thing now is that we respond positively, get back to work and finish the season as strongly as we can.
“In terms of team news, there are likely to be a few knock-on effects from the weekend, and we'll assess a number of players late. Tom Grivosti comes back into the squad after being cup-tied on Sunday, while the return of JR Wilson from injury is another positive.
“We have one or two fresh concerns, with Trevor Clarke and Rob Cornwall both needing late assessments. We certainly don't have a perfect bill of health, but we have enough quality in the squad to go down there and give a good account of ourselves.
“Waterford are on an excellent run of form, and they've carried that into reaching the FAI Cup semi-finals, so we know exactly how difficult this challenge is going to be.
“We're entering a really important period now. In just over a week's time there will only be four league games left, so we're very much into the business end of the season.
“There's a real determination within the group and around the club to make a positive impact over the coming week and finish the campaign on a strong note.
“We've been pleased with a lot of what we've achieved so far, but this is going to be a demanding and important couple of weeks. It's a challenge we're looking forward to.”