# 2022 Dundalk F.C. season

Dundalk entered the 2022 season having finished in sixth place in the league the previous season and having failed to qualify for European football for the first time since the 2012 season. They were still the League of Ireland Cup holders because, after they had won it in 2019, the competition was not held in 2020 or 2021. 2022 was Dundalk's 14th consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football, their 87th in all, and their 96th in the League of Ireland. The 100th anniversary of the club's entry to the Leinster Senior League and therefore its first match as a senior club passed on 7 October 2022.
Stephen O'Donnell was the club's new head coach going into the new term, having replaced Vinny Perth in the close season.

## Season summary

The league season started on 18 February 2022. Dundalk moved into third position after the round 15 victory over Bohemians and remained in the top three—the automatic European qualification positions—for the remainder of the season. A run of one defeat in 15 games from round 12 to round 26 saw an unlikely title challenge develop but injuries to several key players and mixed results subsequently saw that challenge fade in the final series of matches. A home victory over Bohemians in round 35 guaranteed third place and qualification for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League.
A notable milestone was reached in round five away to Shelbourne, when Patrick Hoban scored to become the first player to score 100 league goals in the club's history. Another milestone was reached in round 18, when the club achieved its 1,000th league victory in the top tier of the League of Ireland with a win at home to St Patrick's Athletic. For the round 12 home fixture against Shelbourne, the team wore a specially commissioned shirt in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease charity, 'Watch Your Back'. The match-worn shirts were subsequently auctioned with all proceeds going to the charity.
The club's Honorary President, Des Casey, died in August. The club renamed Oriel Park 'Casey's Field' in his honour until the end of the season because Oriel is built on land that has been leased from the Casey Family Trust since 1936.
In the FAI Cup, they were defeated in the quarter-final by First Division side Waterford.
The end of the season saw club captain Brian Gartland retire after 10 seasons having made 251 appearances for the club.

### First-Team Squad (2022)

Sources: Note: Substitute appearances in brackets
| No. | Name | DOB | Pos. | Debut | League | League | FAI Cup | FAI Cup | Others | Others | Totals | Totals |
| No. | Name | DOB | Pos. | Debut | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | Nathan Shepperd | 10 September 2000 | GK | 2022 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| 2 | Lewis Macari | 8 February 2002 | DF | 2022 | 33 (1) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| 3 | Brian Gartland | 4 November 1986 | DF | 2013 | 4 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 4 | Andy Boyle | 7 March 1991 | DF | 2013 | 31 (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 5 | Mark Connolly | 16 December 1991 | DF | 2022 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| 5 | Alfie Lewis | 28 September 1999 | MF | 2022 | 11 (1) | 1 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| 6 | Sam Bone | 6 February 1998 | DF | 2022 | 23 (9) | 1 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| 7 | Daniel Kelly | 21 May 1996 | MF | 2019 | 20 (3) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 6 |
| 8 | Robbie Benson | 7 May 1992 | MF | 2016 | 19 (10) | 3 | 1 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 4 |
| 9 | Patrick Hoban | 28 July 1991 | FW | 2013 | 21 (4) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 10 |
| 10 | Greg Sloggett | 3 July 1996 | MF | 2020 | 30 (2) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 11 | John Martin | 5 January 1999 | MF | 2022 | 10 (21) | 2 | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 14 | Peter Cherrie | 1 October 1983 | GK | 2009 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | Darragh Leahy | 15 April 1998 | DF | 2020 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 |
| 16 | Steven Bradley | 17 March 2002 | MF | 2022 | 23 (9) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 |
| 17 | Keith Ward | 12 October 1990 | MF | 2011 | 10 (22) | 5 | 2 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 |
| 18 | Robert McCourt | 6 April 1998 | DF | 2022 | 2 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 19 | Daniel Williams | 19 April 2001 | MF | 2022 | 7 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 20 | Joe Adams | 13 February 2001 | MF | 2022 | 20 (13) | 0 | 1 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| 21 | Paul Doyle | 10 April 1998 | MF | 2022 | 16 (9) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| 22 | Runar Hauge | 1 September 2001 | MF | 2022 | 5 (4) | 2 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 23 | John Mountney | 22 February 1993 | MF | 2012 | 7 (3) | 0 | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 24 | Mayowa Animasahun | 8 August 2003 | DF | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Mark Hanratty | 18 July 2002 | MF | 2020 | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 28 | Ryan O'Kane | 16 August 2003 | MF | 2021 | 10 (8) | 2 | 0 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 |
| 29 | David McMillan | 14 December 1988 | FW | 2015 | 9 (18) | 2 | 1 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 |

## Competitions

Win  Draw  Loss

### Premier Division
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Shamrock Rovers (C) | 36 | 24 | 7 | 5 | 61 | 22 | +39 | 79 | Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Derry City | 36 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 53 | 27 | +26 | 66 | Qualification for Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Dundalk | 36 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 53 | 30 | +23 | 66 | Qualification for Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
| 4 | St Patrick's Athletic | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 57 | 37 | +20 | 61 | Qualification for Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
| 5 | Sligo Rovers | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 49 | |

### FAI Cup
## Awards
### Player of the Month

| Month | Player |
| February | Steven Bradley |
| May | Daniel Kelly |
| June | Mark Connolly |

## Footnotes

* ↑ The opening night fixture against Derry City was sold out and therefore had a higher attendance but an official attendance figure was not reported
* ↑ on full season loan from Stoke City F.C.
* ↑ loan from Dundee United F.C. ended after Round 23
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 25 and assigned squad number 5 vacated by Mark Connolly
* ↑ on full season loan from Hibernian F.C.
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 25
* ↑ loan from Swansea City A.F.C. ended after Round 18
* ↑ on loan from Hibernian F.C. from Round 25
* ↑ on loan to Dungannon Swifts after Round 25
* ↑ released after Round 24
* ↑ Sligo Rovers won the match 2–0 but the result was subsequently overturned because Sligo had fielded a suspended player