2020 Dundalk F.C. season

Dundalk entered the 2020 season as the reigning League Champions and League of Ireland Cup holders from 2019. It is manager Vinny Perth's second season as manager. The 2020 season is Dundalk's 12th consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football, their 85th in all, and their 94th in the League of Ireland.

Dundalk
2020 season
Vinny Perth, Dundalk manager, celebrating the 2019 league title success with supporters in Oriel Park.
ManagerVinny Perth
League CupDeferred
President's CupPostponed
Leinster Senior CupAbandoned
Highest home attendance3,156 (Vs. Derry City 14 February 2020)

Season summary

After the postponement of the President's Cup due to storm conditions, the scheduled double-double round-robin 36 round League programme commenced on 14 February 2020 and was due to be completed on 23 October 2020. The season was predicted to be a two horse race between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers.[1] Both sides won their opening three matches before Rovers won their first encounter, 3–2, in Tallaght Stadium. That game was notable for a goal by Dundalk's Jordan Flores, however, which received global recognition.[2]

Subsequently, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the cessation of football in line with other European countries ahead of the Round Six match at home to St Patrick's Athletic. The season resumed on 31 July 2020 with a reduced schedule of 18 matches in total, which is due to be completed on 30 October 2020. Attendances were restricted to a maximum of 200 for the duration of the shortened season as part of the Irish government's response to the pandemic.[3]

During the stoppage, assistant manager Ruaidhrí Higgins departed his role for a new role under former Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny with the Republic of Ireland national football team.[4] He was replaced by Alan Reynolds, who had earlier resigned as manager of Waterford.[5]

The League of Ireland Cup, sponsored by EA Sports, was deferred for the season.[6] The Leinster Senior Cup was abandoned.[7]

In Europe Dundalk will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.

First-Team Squad (2020)

Sources:[8][9] Note: Substitute appearances in brackets

No. Name DOB Pos. Debut League FAI Cup EA Cup Europe Others Totals
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 Gary Rogers 25 September 1981 GK 2015 801000000090
2 Seán Gannon 11 July 1991 DF 2014 800 (1)000000090
3 Brian Gartland 4 November 1986 DF 2013 0 (1)01000000020
4 Seán Hoare 15 March 1994 DF 2017 5 (1)01100000071
5 Chris Shields 27 December 1990 MF 2012 801000000090
6 Jordan Flores 4 October 1995 MF 2019 5 (1)20000000062
7 Michael Duffy 28 July 1994 MF 2017 831000000093
8 John Mountney 22 February 1993 MF 2012 1 (2)00 (1)000000040
9 Patrick Hoban 28 July 1991 FW 2013 871000000097
10 Greg Sloggett 3 July 1996 MF 2020 5 (1)11000000071
11 Patrick McEleney 26 September 1992 MF 2016 1 (2)00 (1)000000040
14 Dane Massey 17 April 1988 DF 2013 710000000071
15 Darragh Leahy 15 April 1998 DF 2020 1 (1)01000000030
16 Seán Murray 11 October 1993 MF 2019 0 (1)00000000010
17 Nathan Oduwa[lower-alpha 1] 5 March 1996 FW 2020 0 (3)00000000030
18 Will Patching 18 October 1998 MF 2020 0 (5)01000000060
20 Aaron McCarey 14 January 1992 GK 2019 000000000000
21 Daniel Cleary 9 March 1996 DF 2018 610000000061
22 Stefan Čolović 16 April 1994 MF 2020 3 (1)01000000050
23 Cammy Smith[lower-alpha 2] 24 August 1995 FW 2020 500000000050
23 Cameron Dummigan[lower-alpha 3] 2 June 1996 DF 2019 001000000010
27 Daniel Kelly 21 May 1996 MF 2019 5 (2)00000000070
29 David McMillan[lower-alpha 4] 14 December 1988 FW 2015 0 (2)00 (1)000000030
44 Andy Boyle 7 March 1991 DF 2013 510000000051
45 Josh Gatt[lower-alpha 5] 29 August 1991 MF 2020 0 (1)00 (1)000000020

Out on loan
No. Name DOB Pos. Debut League FAI Cup EA Cup Europe Others Totals
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
12 Georgie Kelly[lower-alpha 6] 12 November 1996 FW 2018 0 (2)00000000020
28 Lido Lotefa[lower-alpha 7] 18 April 2000 FW 2019 0 (1)00000000010
25 Taner Dogan[lower-alpha 8] DF 2020 000000000000

Competitions

Premier Division
14 February 2020 Round 1Dundalk1–0Derry CityOriel Park
19:45 Dane Massey 79' Report Attendance: 3,156
Referee: Neil Doyle
21 February 2020 Round 2Shelbourne1–2DundalkTolka Park
19:45 Gary Deegan 52' Report Andy Boyle 18'
Patrick Hoban 43'		 Attendance: 3,010
Referee: Damien McGraith
24 February 2020 Round 3Dundalk3–0Cork CityOriel Park
19:45 Michael Duffy 16'
Patrick Hoban 63'
Jordan Flores 66'		 Report Attendance: 2,243
Referee: Paul McLoughlin
28 February 2020 Round 4Shamrock Rovers3–2DundalkTallaght Stadium
19:45 Dylan Watts 20'
Roberto Lopes 71'
Jack Byrne 83'		 Report Jordan Flores 23'
Patrick Hoban 63'		 Attendance: 7,522
Referee: Rob Hennessey
6 March 2020 Round 5Finn Harps0–4DundalkFinn Park
20:00 Patrick Hoban 3'
Michael Duffy 37'
Patrick Hoban 52'
Greg Sloggett 83'		 Report Attendance: 1,582
Referee: Rob Harvey
31 July 2020 Round 6Dundalk1–1St Patrick's AthleticOriel Park
19:45 Patrick Hoban 23' Report Robbie Benson 23' Attendance: 200
Referee: Rob Harvey
7 August 2020 Round 7Bohemians2–1DundalkDalymount Park
17:45 Danny Grant 7'
Keith Buckley 15'		 Report Michael Duffy 42' Attendance: 200
Referee: Neil Doyle
14 August 2020 Round 8Dundalk2–2WaterfordOriel Park
17:45 Patrick Hoban 83'
Daniel Cleary 90'		 Report Matthew Smith 24'
Kurtis Byrne 50'		 Attendance: 200
Referee: Ray Matthews

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Shamrock Rovers 8 7 1 0 20 6 +14 22 Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round
2 Bohemians 8 6 0 2 10 4 +6 18 Qualification to Europa Conference League first qualifying round
3 Dundalk 8 4 2 2 16 9 +7 14
4 St Patrick's Athletic 8 3 2 3 6 5 +1 11
5 Waterford 7 3 2 2 6 7 −1 11
6 Shelbourne 8 3 1 4 6 8 −2 10
7 Derry City 8 2 2 4 8 9 −1 8
8 Cork City 8 2 1 5 4 12 −8 7
9 Sligo Rovers 7 2 0 5 6 12 −6 6 Qualification to Relegation play-offs
10 Finn Harps 8 1 1 6 3 13 −10 4 Relegation to League of Ireland First Division
Updated to match(es) played on 16 August 2020. Source: SSE Airtricity League, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[10]

FAI Cup
11 August 2020 Round 1Dundalk1–0WaterfordOriel Park
19:45 Seán Hoare 17' Report Attendance: 200
Referee: Paul McLaughlin

League Cup

Competition deferred due to COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Leinster Senior Cup

Competition abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Europe

Champions League

Awards

Player of the Month

Footnotes
  1. signed March 2020
  2. on loan from Dundee United until 30 June 2020
  3. on loan to Crusaders until 30 June 2020
  4. signed July 2020
  5. signed July 2020
  6. on loan to St Patrick's Athletic until end of 2020 season
  7. on loan to Longford Town until end of 2020 season
  8. on loan to Athlone Town until end of 2020 season

References
  1. Malone, Emmet (14 February 2020). "Dundalk and Rovers look set to be the two leading horses again". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  2. McDonnell, Daniel. "The anatomy of a wonder goal: How flash of genius sent Jordan Flores around world". www.independent.ie. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. "COVID-19: What you need to do". www.citizensinformation.ie. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  4. McDonnell, Daniel. "Ruaidhri Higgins leaves Dundalk to join Stephen Kenny's backroom team". www.independent.ie. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  5. "Alan Reynolds named new Dundalk assistant manager". www.rte.ie. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  6. "FAI targets June resumption for League of Ireland season". www.rte.ie. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  7. "Leinster Senior Cup Abandoned". Extratime.ie. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  8. "Dundalk FC Squad 2020". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  9. "First Team". dundalkfc.com. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  10. "Premier Division 2020". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
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