The Commentary Box: Dundalk have not surprised me this year

The first part has been beyond expectation, with Dundalk sitting in fourth place in the league table. They are in a good position to challenge for the European spots.

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But they can also slip down the table very easily if they get into a sequence of poor results.

The bookies overwhelmingly had Dundalk as favourites to be relegated after their return to the Premier Division at the start of this season.

But Dundalk have made a mockery of those predictions, getting a sequence of excellent results.

They have drawn and beaten Champions and current league leaders Shamrock Rovers. They have beaten Shelbourne, Derry City, Galway United, and Pats, among other good results.

But after the post-June break, all teams enter the most challenging part of the season. There may yet be a race for the League title.

However, judging by the way Shamrock Rovers are dominating, it looks like the Dublin side will add yet another trophy to their overflowing cabinet.

While Bohemians and Pats threatened Rovers' place at the top of the table just before the break, the Hoops just swept them aside to strengthen their lead at the top.

It's caused much surprise in the league that Dundalk have drawn and beaten Rovers in the twice they have played each other.

They beat Rovers in Oriel by one goal to nil in May, while in February they drew with the champions 2-2 on their home patch in Tallaght.

Dundalk have not surprised me this year. I saw Ciaran Kilduff's team play in the First Division last season on a weekly basis.

They dominated Division One. It's been no surprise to me that they are doing so well in the Premier Division this season.

When Kilduff's men get flowing, very little can stop them. Despite being hit with a massive injury crisis, they have not dwelt on this - they have just got on with their football.

They are scoring at their ease in most games. The goals are coming from all over the pitch and from so many different players.

Daryl Horgan has been magnificent, getting 7 goals. Gbemi Arubi is banging in the goals. Bobby Burns has been a revelation at full-back and centre-back.

Eoin Kenny continues to light up Oriel Park. He improves week by week. Shane Tracey is a very talented player. Tyreke Wilson is a highly talented wing-back defender.

He is banging in the goals. Rob Cornwall has been playing well at centre back when called upon. He has had some excellent games.

Declan McDaid is such a versatile player. He can play full back. wing pack or as an out-and-out winger. He really has hit form with Dundalk this season.

Good news is that Mayowa should be back playing for Dundalk soon. He may even be back for the Galway game on Friday at Pearse Park GAA stadium.

The manager was confident Mayowa was making sufficient progress to his hamstring injury that he may return on Friday.

Enda Minogue has become a fan's favourite since he took over from the injured Conor Kearns in goal. Fans have said to me that Enda is doing so well since he came in.

Of course, he was number one for the team in Division One last season. But an injury kept him out of the side for a couple of months.

It was long enough to persuade the manager to keep faith with goalkeeping coach Peter Cherrie, who replaced him.

But when Conor Kearns got his bad injury, Ciaran Kilduff showed Enda the faith he has in him by putting him into the number one spot without hesitation.

Keith Buckley has settled in well at Oriel. For a player who was suffering from a bad injury and who is a former captain of Bohemians, Buckley has done well when called upon by Ciaran Kilduff.

He's been a great help at midfield when he plays. Danny Mullen is a hugely talented striker. He has missed a large part of the season through injury.

But he is on his way back now, and he could yet play a pivotal role in Dundalk's season.

He has scored a couple of vital goals for Dundalk that have earned the Oriel Park side vital points, be it in a draw or a win.

The Dundalk manager is adamant that Danny is a very special player. He has the talent to really start scoring once he is fully fit.

Harry Groome has started for Dundalk and being used as a sub. He missed a good part of the opening games in the season. But he is in the squad now.

Sean Spaight is another player who has done very well when he has been used as a sub and starting. I have been very impressed with the Republic of Ireland under 17 international.

Sean will head abroad, whether he goes to the UK or Europe. There will be a club waiting to sign him. It's highly unlikely he will leave Oriel for some time yet.

He has been so good at centre half and full back. Sean will be a massive asset to whatever club he goes to.Ciaran Kilduff is a very attack-minded manager.

I have said it before. His style of football is very similar to that of former Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny.

He normally plays three centre-backs, two wing backs, five midfielders, and one up front. His teams never allow the opposition settle. They chase down every ball.

They smother the opposition. They make it very difficult for teams to play against them. But it's not a negative style. They have scored 31 goals in 19 games.

They have conceded 28 this reason. The reason they have conceded so many is because of their attacking style.

They can get caught at the back, because they might have so many players forward. But there is another reason why Dundalk are conceding, and the manager must address this.

Dundalk are giving goals away far too easily from set pieces. Game after game, if they concede a goal or two, it's the piece that has caught them out.

The defenders and the goalkeeper are equally culpable.Dundalk are at serious risk of losing Gbemi Arubi at the end of the season, as he is only on a one-year contract at Oriel.

The young striker played for Shelbourne and Waterford among his league of Ireland clubs he has been at. He has already scored seven goals this season.

He has shown himself to be one of the top strikers in the league. He burst onto the League of Ireland scene in a big way, getting a sequence of vital goals last season.

The goals proved pivotal in Dundalk getting promoted. He scored 12 goals in total last season. He missed half of it through injury.

But Gbemi is getting a lot of attention both in and outside of the league. Should a club come in with an offer to him that satisfies his ambitions, he could be gone at the end of the season.

He just might as easily stay at Oriel if Dundalk can agree terms with him themselves. There is nothing to say they can't.

But clubs outside of the League of Ireland are equally bound to have an interest in Gbemi, along with other clubs here.

These clubs will not have to negotiate with Dundalk, as Gbemi will be a free agent. He could sign for any club on a free. Gbemi has an Irish and a Nigerian passport.

It's believed the under-21 Republic of Ireland boss brought him into the squad as Nigeria are believed to be keen to get Gbemi into their ranks.

But the only way Ireland will stop Gbemi playing for a senior Nigerian international team is for him to be named and play for the Ireland senior squad.

Let's hope that happens sooner rather than later.Gbemi came on as a sub in the under-21 friendly against Croatia. The game finished 2-2. Ireland came from behind twice.

Gbemi came on as a sub after 60 mins.There are other players whom I feel Dundalk must get to sign a new contract straight away. Eoin Kenny, to my knowledge, is one of these.

Other players I would be doing my best to get extensions to their contracts are Shane Tracey, Tyreke Wilson, Aodh Dervin and Ronan Teahan.

I am sure some of these could well be on a two-year deal with Dundalk already.

Sean Spaight, Aaron Keogh, Mayowa Declan McDaid, and JR Wilson are other players I would be keen for the club to offer extended contracts.

Goalkeeper Enda Minogue should also be kept. Manager Ciaran Kilduff, I am sure, is looking at all this now. Other clubs can see how good these players are.

The Premier Division gives all good exposure. It's not like the First Division. Luke Mulligan is a player who has been mainly on the bench this season.

The Ballybay man is sitting his Leaving Cert at the moment. Luke is a very talented player. Ciaran Kilduff knows that. He will make sure Luke stays.

A lot of clubs will also be looking at how good the Dundalk manager is. The national media reported that Kilduff was approached by Waterford post the 2024 season.

He was a free agent. How close he came to moving, I do not know.

But it's my understanding that he was very close to going, as there was nothing on the table for him at Oriel as the new season approached.

Everything changed at the last minute, and the manager was given a new contract at which he was very satisfied.

However, I am not sure when that contract comes to an end. The Dundalk board must extend Kilduff's contract now. And he must be given a pay rise.

If Dundalk wish to ensure they keep their quality manager.They must extend the contract even if it does last until November 2027. He must get his job security now.

This will ease concerns that other clubs could make a move for him. Derry City have had a terrible season so far. I feel they will be looking for another manager soon.

Shelbourne could also be looking for a new manager. I think Joey O'Brien has done a decent job at Tollka since Damian Duff departed the club.

However, some say that he may not have satisfied the huge expectations that go with that job. There has been speculation that Shelbourne would be interested in Ciaran Kilduff.

If this is true, Dundalk must move now to ensure their manager stays.

I asked him at the start of the 2025 season if he had come close to leaving Dundalk at the end of the previous season.

He told me he was the manager of Dundalk FC and never had any interest in moving anywhere else.

I have asked him several times since if he had offers from other clubs that would be good enough to entice him away from Oriel.

He said no and that even if there were in the future, he was manager of Dundalk FC.

No matter how reassuring his pledges of loyalty are to the club, everybody has a price and ambition.

Thus, Dundalk must head this threat off now by giving the manager a pay rise and a new contract. He is one of the most able young managers I have seen.

Dundalk must keep him at all costs.Ciaran Kilduff must also bring players into the club in the window, which opens on 1st July.

One player who is available at the moment is Archie Davis. He was released by Carlisle United at the end of the English season last May.

Archie is 27 and is a full back. He came to Dundalk from Athlone Town in February 2023. He quickly made an impression at Oriel.

He made 57 appearances for Dundalk between February 2023 and July 2024. Archie joined Carlisle United in that month.

Manager Jon Daly was reluctant to let Archie go as Dundalk were battling against relegation.

But he could not stand in his way, as Davis would have departed at the end of October 2024. Archie made 43 first-team appearances for Carlisle from September 2024 to April 2025.

He is a good player and was very popular with players, fans, the management and officials at the club.

Chris Shields was co-commentator with BBC Radio Foyle for the Derry game at Oriel last Friday week.

Chris takes a strong interest in his old club, and one can see the special place it will always have in his heart.

The now Linfield player says he really enjoyed the game from start to finish, all bar the 10-minute period when Derry had the pressure.

"Ciaran has this team playing so well. It's great to be able to say that the town now has its identity back. The players are producing electric football.

It really is fantastic to watch. It's exciting. I was saying that at a time when the Premier League is so boring with systematic and set pieces, this is free and fast-flowing football.

The way the club has turned itself around in less than two years is fantastic. Dundalk are the only team I follow now. When I travel down to Oriel, I come as a fan.

I followed the team's progress in the First Division last season and the team's speedy progression back to the Premier Division.

Thankfully, Ciaran got the lads promoted. And this season, they have taken the Premier Division by storm.

"Dundalk are on the front foot, and they fear no team in this league. They have beaten many of the top teams, including Shamrock Rovers, Pats and Derry.

They went away to Shelbourne and beat them. That was not on the forecast. Everybody is enjoying the Premier Division.

There are big away days and, of course, the home games as well. Hopefully, Dundalk can continue as well after the break.

They probably did not want the break to come as they were doing so well. Players deserve the rest. They are back in training again, less than a week after getting off.

"I am surprised at how well they have been doing. I think anybody would be lying if they said they were not surprised.

When they came up, it was felt they would be in a dogfight to stay up with the likes of Waterford, Sligo and Galway.

But they have just exceeded expectations every week. It's so heartening to see. And the town is back where it belongs.

They are mixing it so well in the Premier Division. And as fans can get greedy, they may even be wondering if Dundalk can get some of the European spots.

I am sure there was no such expectation of this at the start of the season. All that would have been on everybody's mind was to stay up.

Now, rightly, the fans can think of the possibility of a fight for a European place.

"I have had a torrid time myself this year with injury at Linfield. I tore my cruciate in September.

I had to get an operation. But look, I will be back in time for pre-season. So I am fine. I have worked very hard to get my fitness back to even this point as the pre-season looms.

I do not know how long I have left playing football. But that's all I really want to do. Being out injured really has been so frustrating.

When I was here at Dundalk, I got through my spell without any serious injury. So it's been hard to sit and watch my current club, Linfield.

I am not the best spectator. But the good news now that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The pre-season gives me the chance to get back to the same fitness levels as the rest of the players and also boosts my capacity to play in a big way.

"If there was a time to get a serious injury, then it was last September, as it has given me the time to be ready for the pre-season.

Playing our league games on the Saturday will give me the time to come down here to Oriel and get some games in. But it is hard to get down at times.

I have three young kids as well. I have seen the two home games against Derry. And I get to see their live games on Virgin.

The coverage of the games is good. I obviously also follow yourself and James Rogers on Twitter to see what's going on at the club.

"We have a good group of people at Linfield. So this helped me greatly when I moved from Dundalk to Linfield. I have made some very good friends there.

And these will be friends for the rest of my life. I did not have too bad a transition moving to Linfield from Dundalk. It was just a different league and a different opposition.

All I knew was Dundalk. So to make the jump at 30 was just different. I am enjoying being home with the kids as well. I am enjoying my life right now.

But it will never beat the time I had with Dundalk.

"The send-off I had from Dundalk was just huge. It's now five years ago this month. I will remember that send-off for as long as I live.

My family will remember it forever. My mother, father and wife were among the people in the ground that night.

Such were the circumstances, I never thought I'd get the fanfare I did get on the way home.

I will be eternally grateful to the Dundalk fans for the display of support and kindness they gave me. That send-off, and this club, are simply something I will never forget.

Dundalk defender Bobby Byrnes is having a great season at Oriel and is one of the new players who have stood out.

He says the home fans have swept Dundalk home in so many key games at Oriel this season. "We have played against very good teams this season.

And we have some young, pretty, inexperienced players on the first team. They really need the support from the home crowd.

But the rest of the players, in general, also really benefit from the home support at Oriel.

"The buzz around the town about the club and the players is fantastic. I was filling up with diesel before some of the games. People come up to me and ask me if I am playing.

I won't tell them. What stands out for me is that even if our younger players make a mistake, the crowd at Oriel will support them and not get on their backs.

I was speaking to Chris Shields after the Derry game. And do you know what, I am only more determined now to help this club get back to where it was when he was here.

It may take two years, but we can get here. I have seen the photos of the good times in the gym. We can get back to that. We are not just going to rest on our laurels.

"The suggestion at the start of the season that we were favourites to go straight back down has only helped to motivate us. The gaffer often brings it up.

I still do not think we have fulfilled our potential in the Division. Danny Mullen has yet to fully recover from the injury he picked up earlier in the season.

We have a lot of excellent young players. Some have already contributed to how well we have been doing. There are others who may come through in the second half of the season."

I spoke to Chris Shields about coming here in November. I also spoke to Daryl. It's all really come to fruition. I was in South America when I spoke to Chris.

It's such a football town. The new pitch is fabulous. I feel like the manager really gives me ownership and allows me to play my own game.

I found playing in a different position, like I was when I played against Derry. meant that I had to be extra careful trying to get the ball through to the centre half.

But no matter what position I am asked to play, I will. I feel like being asked to play the Friday Monday did contribute to the extra injuries we picked up.

We have to try and control this. The second half of the year should be a bit more straightforward."I love playing here. It's a proper football club.

It reminds me of when I played for Glentoran up north. The fans are very passionate. We will see where that takes us.

Going into the second half of the year, I am still feeling we can improve. Players like Gbemi and Eoin Kenny are really coming into themselves.

If they can continue to do well, who knows where it can take us or what we can achieve. The training sessions can be tough here at times.

"The manager has been magnificent. He is a young manager. But he has such a calmness about him that filters right through the squad.

He is such a good person, apart from being such a great coach. That makes such a difference. The players feed off that."We will just see where the second half of the season takes us.

We are supposed to be playing our game on Friday against Galway in the Pearse GAA stadium. I am looking forward to that.

I used to live beside Pearse Stadium when I was living in Galway. I used to walk across the pitch. I am looking forward to having the experience of playing on it.

You can see what Derry City have been through, having to use the GAA grounds there as they get a new pitch installed at the Brandywell.

The surface is not going to be great.GAA surfaces are not like soccer pitches. I am fully aware that it could be bobbly. It could be rough and ready.

It could suit Galway as they are a physical team. But there are great aspirations in Oriel and among this team."I love the town of Dundalk and am settling in very well.

I am now living much closer to home. So I can get down there a lot more. Dundalk is a great football town to live in when we are winning.

I have yet to see what it's like when we are losing.There is a great atmosphere here in Oriel, and much of that has been created by the gaffer.

I am really enjoying my football here. It was great to get the break. We had a week off.

Now we turn our attention to the second half of the league. I think it will be very interesting."

Bobby Burns always seems to have a smile on his face. That's great to see as it really does show the positive atmosphere Ciaran Kilduff has created in his squad.

Dundalk have been drawn away from home in the FAI Cup. The game against Leinster Senior League side St Mochtas will be played the weekend of 19th July.

Dundalk must tread very carefully here. They will be favourites. But St Mochtas beat Dundalk in the Leinster Senior Cup by 2-0 in March 2024.

The only other time the two sides met was in the FAI cup in 2021 at Oriel. Dundalk won 5-1. This will be a tough game for Dundalk.

I would have preferred if Dundalk had have got a First Division team. St. Mochtas were well beaten in their league game away to Kilbarrack on Sunday by 3-0.

Dundalk will feature live on TV for three games in the coming weeks: 19th June away to Bohemians, 3rd July away to Shelbourne and July 24th away to Pats.

Have a safe week. Take care of each other and yourself. And remember to be careful out there.