Dundalk goalkeeper Enda Minogue says the atmosphere created by home supporters in the club’s league opener against his former club Athlone Town at Oriel Park on Valentine’s Night “fills you with some sort of feeling”.
Minogue became a Lilywhite over the winter having moved from the Midlands club where he had spent two-and-a-half seasons. Forwards Leo Gaxha and Dean Ebbe also switched from Athlone in the off-season and started on Friday evening.
The 23-year-old ‘keeper, having played the opening half against Shelbourne in Ciarán Kilduff’s side’s first pre-season friendly which was held behind closed doors in Dublin, suffered a fractured nose in training the following week after taking a blow from Ebbe.
That kept him out of match action for a period of time until a protective face mask arrived, one which he has now worn in four appearances and which he is likely to wear for the foreseeable future.
Five outings into his Dundalk career, he has yet to concede a goal, a run totalling 350 minutes. But his focus is very much on the team winning matches this season whatever the scoreline, and he was delighted to get the campaign off to a winning start thanks to 16-year-old centre-half Vinnie Leonard’s 36th-minute header.
14 February 2025; Enda Minogue and Vinnie Leonard of Dundalk celebrate after the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division match between Dundalk and Athlone Town at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Emma Gaughran.
Minogue on the win…
“It’s a massive way to start the season, three points at home. You want to make your home your fortress. Obviously, it was a big night for the club with what we’ve come from. Even the new players pitch in, we know what last season was about. We’re focussed on making this season better. It’s the right step, the first three points.”
On the fast start and Athlone coming into it…
“In the First Division, both teams are going to go punch for punch with each other. You could see even from the tip-off, I think they tried to run it straight in, then we ended up the other end in the next ten seconds. That was the story of the whole game, you attack, I attack.
“We limited them to chances. I don’t think I had any saves to make – maybe one small save, but other than that, I think we limited them very well. We played to our strengths and at the end we showed what we’re about.”
14 February 2025; Vinnie Leonard of Dundalk, centre, heads to score his side’s first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division match between Dundalk and Athlone Town at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile.
On getting the lead before half-time…
“The first goal tonight was going to be massive. You heard the crowd, you seen when we walked out, the place was lit up. It was unbelievable.
“For me, it’s the first experience of a proper crowd at a football match when I’m actually playing. Walking out and seeing that, it fills you with some sort of feeling, it’s hard to describe what the fans done there.
“It was important that we got that first goal and then that kind of settled the nerves. It was always going to be a nervy game, obviously a lot on it for a lot of us coming from Athlone going up against them again. We managed it well. The first goal was massive.”
On missed opportunities to kill the game…
“I’ll give out to the boys at the other end of the pitch for that. It’s one of those nights. Throughout the season, we are going to have a lot of them nights, where you’re 1-0 up, you’re hitting the post, you’re hitting the crossbar. To be fair to the ‘keeper, he has made two or three very good saves.
“What was important for us was, ok the ball didn’t go in for us, but we needed to keep it out of our goal. Like Horgs (Daryl Horgan) said at the end there, they had seven lined up on the edge of the box in the 94th minute and we had 16-year-olds going and winning headers.
“Everybody was dying for the club tonight. It’s a big step in the right direction.”
14 February 2025; The Dundalk FC starting XI before the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division match between Dundalk and Athlone Town at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Gerry Scully/Dundalk FC.
On Vinnie Leonard getting the winner..
“Buzzing for him. What a week he has had, to be fair. He was away with Ireland, and he has built on his performance against Drogheda. I wouldn’t have known Vinnie before I came in. For 16, he’s so mature, in the dressing-room having a laugh with all the lads, he doesn’t care, and even in training he’s not afraid to get stuck in.
“That’s what this league is all about, that’s what these players are all about. Vinnie, to be fair to him, was coming up against two really good strikers in Dean Williams and Kyle Robinson and I think he dealt with them absolutely brilliantly.
“Nerves in the first few minutes but once he got his foot on the ball, he settled, and it was a fantastic header – I’ll be asking for a few more this season off him.”
On being part of a very young defence, Conor ‘Chief’ O’Keeffe the exception…
“Chief, I’d say he feels a bit older but you can see the way Chief moves, he’s still unbelievable. It’s a young back four, even back five with myself, a lot of us under the age of 23. But I think once you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
“That’s what we have shown already this pre-season. It doesn’t matter what age. You throw anyone in the team, they’re going to give everything to die for the club. That’s what it was tonight.
“I thought Seán Keogh was brilliant when he got on the ball, Vinnie, Mayowa (Animasahun) is just a beast in the middle and obviously the Chief has that confidence and the composure where if the other boys are getting a little bit edgy, you can look to Chief as that leader at the back.
“Myself, Chief, Mayowa – we all work together to make sure that we’re all one big unit and we’re solid.”
31 January 2025; Dundalk goalkeeper Enda Minogue, wearing a protective facemask, during the Jim Malone Cup match between Dundalk and Drogheda United at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
On not conceding a goal as a Dundalk ‘keeper yet…
“Don’t say it! Don’t say it! It’s part of a goalkeeper’s job, don’t concede goals, the job description is pretty much there, so I will be buzzing. It’s a great way to start the season with clean sheets.
“In pre-season, I’ve gone a while without conceding, so I’m just going to keep that as long as I can. But, look, if I let one in and we score two, I’ll still be happy because at the end of the day it’s three points for the team.
“Personally, I’d like to notch up as many as I can, but the main priority this season is that we win football games. I’m happy enough if I can keep a few along the way.”
On two tough away games coming up over the next fortnight…
“Harps and then Kerry, they’re two places I’ve been a lot over the last two, three years being in the First Division. They’re tough places to go.
“Harps, if you go up there and it’s a windy night or rainy night, you just play the conditions. The same with Kerry, it’s a very tough place to go. To be fair to both clubs, the fan bases that they have, they’ll bring a bit of noise as well. Hopefully, we’ll get as many travelling as we can from Dundalk.
“If we can have the same kind of work rate, determination and just go through another gear, another two gears, I think we’ll have a really good two weeks.”
