Kilduff hails ‘warriors’ as Dundalk exceed expectations but eyes remain on survival
Manager Ciaran Kilduff is satisfied going into the break, although there remains work to do
As Dundalk FC head into the SSE Airtricity League’s mid-season break sitting fourth in the table, Ciaran Kilduff is allowing himself a measure of satisfaction — though not without the caveat that there remains considerable work to do.
The 2-1 victory over Derry City at Oriel Park on Friday night capped an impressive opening half of the campaign for the newly promoted side, who have accumulated 29 points from 19 matches and scored 31 goals — a tally that no team in the Premier Division has bettered.
Yet Kilduff’s immediate reaction to suggestions that Dundalk might reasonably have expected an even greater return was telling.
“Always,” said Kilduff when asked by The Democrat whether he felt Dundalk should have more points on the board, having dropped 13 from winning positions this season.
“They’re an ambitious group. I’ll never sell them short. If we hadn’t won that there tonight, I would have felt slightly begrudged for them. It’s always about them. They’re the players.
“It’s their bodies on the line. I can help and I can assist and I can shout and scream, but at the end of the day, they’re the warriors, and I always want more for them. They want more.”
That competitive edge has been a defining feature of Dundalk’s return to the top flight.
While survival was the stated objective at the outset of the season, the club have spent much of the campaign looking upwards rather than over their shoulder.
Victories over Shamrock Rovers and Derry City in recent weeks have reinforced the growing sense that Dundalk are capable of challenging the division’s established order, although Kilduff remains cautious about making any grand declarations.
“It’s down to the players again, and the staff are brilliant,” he said.
“We’re very lucky. It’s not down to one or two people. It’s down to a community of people.
“We’ve had a good couple of months, with a couple of big months coming. Can we hang around here a little bit longer? Who knows?
“Of course, the objective when you’re the promoted team is survival. We still haven’t secured that yet; we’re a long way from that. There are loads of games to go.
“It’s a good first half of the season we’ve had. We could have a bad second half and get dragged into things. You just don’t know.
“You can see that with every opposition team we’ve played; they go through peaks and troughs. But overall, after 19 games, we’re happy with a lot of it, but there are 17 to go.”
The break comes at a useful time for a squad that has been stretched by injuries in recent weeks.
Several players have been managing fitness issues, while defender Mayowa Animasahun is edging closer to a return after a spell on the sidelines.
Kilduff hopes the defender will be in contention when Dundalk resume league action away to Galway United at Pearse Stadium.
“Mayowa took an early break so he can get back to work after this weekend,” he said.
“The lads need a break mentally and physically. It can be intense around here. We’re doing well. We’re competing in every game.
“We’re picking up points, but that comes with a toll, so giving them a little breather for a few days now is important.
“Mayowa himself wanted to go away earlier this week so he could be back to work, so he’s ready for Friday.
“I thought it was a brilliant idea from him, a great trait of his, and he won’t be far away.”
Attention will also soon turn towards the summer transfer window, though Kilduff indicated that any additions would need to be carefully considered rather than pursued for the sake of increasing numbers.
“We also need to get the right people,” he said. “Not just any people — the right players. We’ll see who’s available and where we need strengthened.
“There are a few lads carrying injuries from the last couple of weeks. Let’s see what we have before we know what we need.”
One player unlikely to be making a return to Oriel Park, however, appears to be Robbie Benson.
Recent comments from the midfielder had prompted speculation about a possible comeback, but Kilduff suggested such a move is improbable.
“I was chatting to Robbie. Robbie is one of my best friends,” he said.
“I’ll probably have to call him as well. We’ve had a lot of good conversations, but I think he said he was struggling with his running, so it’s going to be hard to play. But what a player, what a guy.”