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In Friday’s Dundalk FC Magazine for the visit of Treaty United, captain Daryl Horgan reflects on the team’s start to the season and looks ahead to another tough test back at Oriel Park. You can read his column now, below.
Hello and welcome to this evening’s SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division match against Treaty United. We have had tremendous support in our two away games over the past fortnight, the fans got right behind us in both Donegal and Kerry, and tonight we can’t wait to get out and play in front of our home crowd again.
Going back two weeks ago, the Finn Harps game was a really tough test for us. It was a real battle up there. The conditions weren’t great. But we had to show a side of ourselves that we didn’t show against Athlone, a real dig-in mentality, get the three points at all costs, and we did that. I thought some of the bodies-on-the-line stuff was absolutely amazing. The work from everybody was incredible. The three points was an amazing reward, because we knew how difficult a game it was going to be and it proved exactly that way. We were defending long throw after long throw for the last 15 minutes at least, but the lads stood up to that incredibly well.
Moving on to Kerry last Friday, it was another game where we had to really show resilience. Obviously, it was different circumstances. I felt we started the game really strongly. We went 1-0 up, we were looking good to be in a really, really good position and then the sending-off happens and it changes the game. Even with the red card, we probably could have had a couple of more goals – I had a couple of big opportunities myself. It was a chance to put the game to bed in a sense, but it didn’t come, and again, the back four – or back five as it was at the end – Enda Minogue, the boys in midfield, everyone, they ran themselves into the ground. There was a spell where you had maybe six blocks, the ball stayed in the six-yard box for about 8-10 seconds, it was mental, but it just showed what this group is all about now. There is a real hard edge to us. We’re able to grind out results and pick up three points where people probably think it’s not going to happen or that the tide has turned against us. It was brilliant to be a part of it, to be a part of that group that went down to ten men so early and held on in what was a very, very difficult game. Kerry have a good side, a lot of good players, and they really pushed us at the end. It was an incredible performance throughout.
It has been a brilliant start to the season for us with three 1-0 wins. It’s great to be keeping clean sheets. We need to start converting more chances. We won’t be able to keep clean sheets forever. The lads have been brilliant but there are going to be goals conceded, we know that. We need to start putting away more of the chances that we’re getting. I think we’re playing lovely football at times, we’re creating the moments and now it’s just putting that last bit of detail on it where the ball goes in, where we put it in whatever way humanly possible. Three performances, three clean sheets, all different games, really. One where conditions weren’t great and it was a slog, one with ten men, one where I thought we were a very dominant side. It’s good to be able to show these different kinds of arrows in our quiver. It’s a very, very positive start. At the moment, that’s all it is – it’s a start. We have loads and loads of huge tests this year, and there are going to be times where things don’t go exactly as we had planned. I think we’ve shown as a group that we’re more than capable of standing up when we need to, and we’ll need to hold that for the rest of the season.
Treaty United have been very impressive this season, a big win away at Athlone and they backed it up with a good win at home to Finn Harps last week. I suppose their only blip is maybe a ten-minute period against Cobh Ramblers on the opening day where they were probably cruising, all of a sudden one goal hits and the whole game changes. We’ve all been part of games like that. If you’re looking at their three performances, you’re talking ten minutes out of 270 when things haven’t gone right. They’ll be right at it, they’ll be full of confidence I’m sure and they really are looking strong. It’s going to be another tough test. We’re not going to have an easy game this year. We need to keep the solidity, resolution and grit that we have at the back and then we have to have a bit more quality up top in the moments that count. We know what a tough game this is going to be. We know what a good side Treaty are, they’ll be coming up trying to pick up the three points against us. We need to be ready for that.
Our travelling support in Kerry was absolutely incredible. It’s a trek and a half, believe me. It’s a few days’ camel ride – it was a long, long trip. We had some amount of bodies there and noise. Every ball that was blocked or cleared, there were celebrations. It was fantastic. Then at the end of the game, to go over and see the joy on people’s faces and how much it meant. I think they appreciated how much the boys put into it. They really saw that. I think they appreciated that. The support was amazing, I have to say. There is a feel-good factor at the minute and the more people we get up and the more noise they make, the better. We want to create Oriel as a real fortress again. We spoke about the fallout and the misgivings of last year, but now it’s really about this year and the group that we have. The fans are delighted to have a football club, first and foremost, but I think they really appreciate what the manager and the team of players are trying to do. We’re very appreciative of people spending their hard-earned money to go to far-flung places and be as loud and representative as we want to be. The support will be huge for us this year. Hopefully, we get another good crowd tonight for what will be another tough game.
Enjoy the match,Daryl Horgan.