Dundalk FC manager Jon Daly spoke about a number of issues ahead of Sunday afternoon’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash with St Patrick’s Athletic at Oriel Park.

On the 1-1 draw in Derry two weeks ago…
“We had a couple of really good opportunities to go 2-0 up which would have been huge. I don’t think anybody up there would have argued and it would have made it a different game. If you told us before that we’d get a point, we probably would have taken it. As much as we want to win every game, I think a point away from home in Derry is a good one. Sometimes it has been a mistake or a lapse in concentration that has cost us but it’s never for a lack of effort or a lack of fighting and I think you could see that at The Brandywell. That same spirit and resilience are going to be needed going into the last nine games.”

On last week’s friendly with Longford Town…
“With no competitive game, it was good to have a workout and something to plan for and prep for. It gave us a good look at everybody for 45 minutes and Dara Keane got 20 minutes towards the end. He’s still probably not fully ready but it was good for him to get some minutes and to try and build him back up and get him going in the run-in.

“On Friday, we had a team activity at Carlingford Adventure Centre. We had three teams competing against each other and we went for food as a group afterwards. Days like that are important when you have so many new players and new relationships forming. It was good to get everybody together and we tried to use it as a little bonding session and I think everybody enjoyed it. We were back at it on Sunday to go again and start prepping for the Pats game.”

On talk of postponing the St Patrick’s Athletic game…
“If I was in Stephen Kenny’s shoes I’d be looking for the game off and if Stephen Kenny was in my shoes then he’d want the game to go ahead!

“As much as we all want what’s good for the league, I think we all have to focus on what’s good for our clubs, first and foremost. If the game had been postponed, we would have had three weeks without a competitive game so I think it was really important that the game went ahead this weekend.

“It keeps us in line with everybody else around us in terms of games played so it’s important that we try and get three points out of it and try and make the most of Pat’s playing on Thursday night in Europe.”

3 June 2024; Jamie Gullan celebrates after Dundalk’s victory over St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

On a possible solution going forward…
“The league have moved games to try and help teams navigate through the first couple of rounds. I think if you get to the playoff round, there should probably be a rule put in place that your game is called off but unless that rule is in place then, certainly from our point of view, it’s one that we can’t facilitate.

“If everybody sits down at the start of the season and everybody knows that if a team gets to a playoff the next league game is called off then I think everybody would probably agree to it. If it’s clear, and it’s written in stone, then everybody knows where they stand but you can’t just leave it to the clubs that are in Europe to keep fighting to get games off.

“We’re fighting for our own lives at the bottom of the league and we’re trying to get points on the board so going three weeks without a competitive game would be a disaster. If it is something that the league takes a look at going forward, then they must be very, very clear on what they want to do and everybody understands that this is what’s going to happen should this situation arise again.”

On St Patrick’s Athletic…
“They had a tough tie on Thursday night but that doesn’t mean that Sunday’s game is going to be an easier one for us. They have had some good results off the back of European fixtures, they beat Sligo and then got a good point away down in Galway, where they made a lot of changes, so they’ve got plenty of talented football players in the squad and regardless of who is on the pitch on Sunday, it’s going to be a tough game.

“In saying that, we’re fully confident that we can do it. We go into every game believing we can win it and this game will be no different. Whether it be against a changed Pat’s from the European game, or whether it’s the strongest XI they can put on the pitch, we feel we can beat them.”

On two consecutive home games…
“For where we are, and the situation we’re in, every game is important, no matter where it is. If the worst were to happen and we come out of these two games against Pat’s and Shelbourne next Friday with no points, then we have to focus on the games after that. The way the league is this season, if we were to go and get maximum points from these next two games, we’re still going to be fighting and scrapping in the final seven. Every game is vitally important and every point up for grabs is as important as the next one.

“It’s about trying to put a run of results together that, unfortunately as a club, we haven’t done that this year. We haven’t gone and bounced two or three games in a row and that’s a big disappointment. It’s something that we’ve targeted and if we can go and put a little run together it would help us get where we need to go. I’ve been probably saying this for a while, but it’s about trying to claw in the teams that are above us and just trying to apply a little bit of pressure and to see if we can try and leapfrog one or two teams ahead of us.”

On the late Jim McLaughlin…
“The impact that Jim had, not just on Dundalk, but on the League of Ireland in general, was fantastic. He had an unbelievable management career, and It’s incredible to see what he achieved. Going to the funeral last Sunday, you could see what he meant to the town of Dundalk, not just the club. The turnout was fantastic and I’m sure it was well appreciated by his family. I think it was only right that the players and everyone at the club went out and paid our respects. Hopefully, he’ll be looking down on us on Sunday and he gives us a little bit of luck and we can go and get the three points to mark the first game since his passing.”