OFFICIAL DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE | ISSUE 6 - €3
DUNDALK v SHAMROCK ROVERS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH 2020
KICK-OFF 7.30PM
OPENING SHOT SEPTEMBER 24TH 2020 | SHERIFF STADIUM | MOLDOVA The Dundalk players celebrate our penalty shoot out win over Sheriff Tiraspol in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie at the SC Sheriff Stadium
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FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
GARY ROGERS
The win in Moldova on Thursday night was fantastic. We worked our socks off and it was no more than we deserved. It was brilliant and since both Filippo and Giuseppe have come in, things have been fantastic. We have really kicked on and I thought our performance on Thursday against Sheriff was really good. From start to finish, through extra-time and then penalties it was a brilliant performance all over the park and I felt we should have won the game outright. You never know what way penalties will go but I feel that we got what we deserved, we tried to win the game and it was a great win for us. European games are the
pinnacle of your career. For me, it is great to be performing at this level, especially at my ripe old age! Every European game is a bonus and you have to enjoy them. You have to enjoy them anyway but as you get older you have to enjoy them even more and cherish them, which we do. Every European win is important because they can be hard to come by. We have won two back to back now and we want to go on again and win a third at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday night. We have a brilliant opportunity in the playoff. We want to make history and get back to the Europa League group stages, which is always the objective of this group. I think people 10
are sick of talking about 2016, especially lads who have come into the group. Now, they have a chance to go and experience what we have experienced in the past. It would be a phenomenal achievement and it would be very special if we could go and do that. Today’s game is our main priority at the minute, however. Shamrock Rovers are a good side and we are focused on beating them. We are familiar with them and know what kind of players they have. They are having a good season and are top of the league so we know it’s going to be a difficult game but we’ll go into it with a lot of confidence after Thursday and we’ll be aiming to get the three points we need.
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PLAYER PROFILES 2020
SHAMROCK ROVERS 1. ALAN MANNUS
2. RHYS MARSHALL Bio: Defender, 25, Craigavon .......................................... Joined Rovers at the beginning of the current campaign after moving from Glenavon after spending all his career at Mourneview. ..........................................
Bio: Goalkeeper, 38, Toronto .......................................... A Northern Ireland international in his second spell at Rovers after Stephen Bradley signed him in the summer of 2018. Titles north and south with Linfield and Rovers as well as a spell in Scotland with St.Johnstone which brought a Scottish Cup.
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4. ROBERTO LOPES
5. LEE GRACE
Bio: Defender, 28, Dublin ........................................
Bio: Defender, 27, Carrick-On-Suir .......................................... Former Wexford Youths defender, won promotion with the club before moving to Galway United and has spent the past three and bit years at Rovers. ..........................................
An experienced defender who began at Belvedere and moved to Bohemians in 2010. Shamrock Rovers came calling in 2017 and he moved to Tallaght where he has established himself as first choice defender and has earned an international cap for Cape Verde.
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7. DYLAN WATTS
8. RONAN FINN Bio: Midfielder, 32, Dublin ..........................................
Bio: Midfielder, 23, Dublin ..........................................
Club captain Finn, second spell as a hoop and has been one of the most consistent players in the league since he started with UCD and went on to Sporting Fingal. Then a move to Rovers and a league medal in 2011. 2 years at Dundalk - 2 more leagues, an FAI Cup and a wonderful European run before opting to return to Dublin 24. ...........................................
Another UCD alumni and earned a move to Leicester City on the back of his performances there. A loan spell at Bohemians was next before the silky midfielder moved to Rovers in the summer of 2018.
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10. AARON MCENEFF
11. SEAN KAVANAGH Bio: Defender, 26, Dublin ..........................................
Bio: Midfielder, 25, Derry ......................................... A former Tottenham Hotspur youth, McEneff returned to hometown club Derry City to sign for Peter Hutton in 2015 and won the EA SPORTS Cup for the Candystripes before moving to Tallaght where he added an FAI Cup to his collection.
A former Fulham player from Dublin who plays at full-back mainly but can play many positions. Has struggled with injury since he joined in 2018 but has tonnes of ability.
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3. DANIEL LAFFERTY Bio: Defender, 31, Derry .......................................... An experienced full back and Northern Ireland international, initially began his career as a Celtic youth and then Derry City. A tonne of spells followed at Rotherham, Oldham and Sheffield United before a permanent move home to Rovers.
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6. GREG BOLGER Bio: Midfielder, 32, Wexford .......................................... A UCD graduate and also spent time with Sporting Fingal, won a league with Pat’s and a league and cup double with Cork City. Has been at Rovers for the past 2 seasons. ..........................................
9. AARON GREENE Bio: Forward, 30, Dublin .......................................... An experienced forward, Greene is also in his second spell with Rovers having been there in 2012. Spells at Limerick, Pat’s, Sligo and Bray followed leading to Stephen Bradley signing him again in 2017. ..........................................
15. LIAM SCALES Bio: Defender, 22, Dublin .......................................... Another UCD graduate and made the move to Shamrock Rovers at the beginning of the season, an Ireland U21 international who is comfortable on the ball and can play multiple positions
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PLAYER PROFILES 2020
SHAMROCK ROVERS 16. GARY O’NEILL Bio: Midfielder, 25, Kerry ........................................ A Kerry native, joined Rovers last summer from UCD and the midfielder has been a regular in the side for Bradley’s men. Scored the winning penalty in the FAI Cup final last November.
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20. RORY GAFFNEY
19. DEAN WILLIAMS
Bio: Forward, 26, Dublin ..........................................
A young striker, has progressed through from Rovers U17 and moved on loan to Athlone Town and Bay Wanderers on successive loans in 2019 and was included as a first team player for Rovers in 2020.
One of the most talented in the league, forward Burke was an Aston Villa youth prodigy however joined Shamrock Rovers in 2017 and moved to Preston a year later however has been on loan back in Tallaght since July 2019.
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23. NEIL FARRUGIA
Bio: Forward, 30, Galway ........................................
Bio: Forward, 21, Dublin ........................................
A Galway native began at Mervue United and moved to Limerick which earned him a crack at Cambridge United. Spells at Bristol Rovers, Walsall and Salford City were next and the striker joined the hoops in February.
An exciting winger who has featured for the Ireland U21’s and has progressed through the UCD system. Injury has blighted his Rovers career to date but has a promising future ahead of him.
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27. BRANDON KAVANAGH Bio: Midfielder, 219, Dublin .......................................... A graduate of the youth setup, has been around the first team since Bradley took over in 2016 and has featured for Shamrock Rovers II also. ..........................................
21. GRAHAM BURKE
Bio: Forward, 20, Dublin ..........................................
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25. LEON POHLS Bio: Goalkeeper, 23, Norderstedt ........................................ Reserve keeper to Alan Mannus having joined from Tadcaster at the beginning of the 2019 season. Has featured mainly for Shamrock Rovers II. ........................................
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29. JACK BYRNE
28. JOEY O’BRIEN Bio: Defender, 34, Dublin ..........................................
Bio: Midfielder, 24, Dublin ..........................................
Has 5 caps for the Republic of Ireland and a vastly experienced defender. Can play anywhere across the back four and has Premier League experience with both Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. At Rovers since 2018.
Ireland international who began his career at St. Kevin’s Boys before progressing on to Manchester City. Spells at Cambuur and Blackburn Rovers followed as well as Oldham Athletic, Wigan and Kilmarnock before he found his home at Rovers.
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INJURY UPDATE
DANE MASSEY
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fter playing a key role in many of Dundalk’s European nights over the past seven seasons, Dane Massey found himself in the unusual position of having to Thursday night’s Europa League tie with Sheriff Tiraspol on a live stream. The 32-year-old is currently sidelined with a rectus femurs tendon tear, a similar ailment to the one that Jordan Flores sustained at the club’s training camp in Spain last year. The injury is expected to rule Massey out for up to two months and after spending much of his Dundalk career on the pitch, he admits it is a strange feeling having to watch games on a laptop. “Yeah, it’s very difficult for me,” he said. “I’m not one to sit and watch a game patiently and I really struggled to watch the Europa League game in Andorra a few weeks ago. A few of the baby’s toys almost went through the TV! “I’ve been really lucky in my career, especially at Dundalk, that I have never been out with a bad injury so it’s going to take me a while to try and get my head around watching the lads play and train. It’s just something I’ll have to meet head-on.” The injury came at just the wrong time for the experienced full-back. After falling out of favour during the latter part of Vinny Perth’s tenure, Filippo Giovagnoli’s arrival paved the way for Massey’s return to the starting XI and he scored in the Italian’s first game in charge against Cobh Ramblers. “I wasn’t in and around the squad in the weeks leading up to the Cobh game but Filippo came in and picked his team based on the form he saw in training and that was a huge confidence boost for me,” said Massey. “Thankfully, I had a good game in Cobh, I scored and we went through to the next round of the FAI Cup. I was starting to get excited. Filippo is a very positive manager and you can see that in the dugout. His
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training with Giuseppe (Rossi) has been excellent and it was a clean slate for everyone.” Disaster struck, however, when Massey felt ‘something go’ during a routine training exercise in the squad’s final training session before the 3-2 win over Shelbourne on September 11th. “We were doing a simple passing drill and whatever way I struck the ball, I heard it pop,” explained Massey. “I immediately walked off and got it assessed and when I went for a scan it ended up being a tear in the upper part of my thigh muscle, almost my hip flexor. “Things moved very quickly after that,” he added. “I had an operation the following Monday so I’m a week over that now but it looks like I’ll be out for something like six to eight weeks. “I have a target to get back before the end of the season if all goes well and I do my rehab properly. I only have to look at Jordan and the strong way he came back from the exact same injury and there’s a great medical team at the club so I’m confident I’ll be back before the season comes to an end.” Massey will wear a leg brace for the next two or three weeks before starting his rehabilitation work under the watchful eye of physios Danny Miller and David Murphy. In the meantime, he will be glued to the screen again next Thursday, cheering Dundalk on in their bid to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League when they face KI from the Faroe Islands. “At the start of the year I think I was the record holder for European appearances and at a club like Dundalk I took real pride in that,” he said. “It was definitely something I wanted to keep up so to get the injury now is hugely disappointing but it’s all about the team and once we get the results in, that’s the main thing.”
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HALF-TIME CHALLENGE
THE QUIZ
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Dundalk 1. Which Dundalk FC player was the last to play in the Leinster Senior League? 2. Jimmy Corcoran recently joined the club from which EFL side? 3. What was Chris Shields’ first jersey number at the club? 4. St Mirren FC currently have which two former Dundalk FC players on their books? 5. In what year did Alan O Neill sign for Dundalk? 6. What nation’s jersey did the legendary goalkeeper wear when playing for the Lilywhites? Shamrock Rovers 7. Who was the last Shamrock Rovers player to receive a senior international cap? 8. From which county does Gary O’Neill hail? 9. Name the former Shamrock Rovers and Derry City central defender who has been involved with Dundalk FC U19s in recent seasons. 10. Who is the youngest league goalscorer in Shamrock Rovers’ history? 11. In what country was Alan Mannus born? 12. Stephen Bradley won his last league title as a player with which club? Mixed Bag 13. When did Italy last win the FIFA World Cup? 14. Which player recently scored on his Burnley debut against Leicester City? 15. What colour is the home kit of Notts County? 1. Dan Kelly 2. Preston North End 3. Six 4. Dylan Connolly, Jamie McGrath 5. 1985 6. Sweden 7. Roberto Lopes 8. Kerry 9. Mick Neville 10. Kevin Zefi 11. Canada 12. Limerick 13. 2006 14. Jimmy Dunne 15. Black and white
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ANSWERS 40
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