# 2024 Dundalk F.C. season

Dundalk entered the 2024 season having finished in fifth place in the league the previous season, which meant that they did not qualify for European competition in 2024–25. Stephen O'Donnell was the club's head coach going into the new term, his third season in charge.
During the close season, US-based businessman Brian Ainscough took ownership of the club from Andy Connolly and STATSports duo Seán O'Connor and Alan Clarke. Record goalscorer Pat Hoban was sold to Derry City ahead of the new season, having scored a total of 150 goals over eight seasons.
2024 was Dundalk's 16th consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football, their 89th in all, and their 98th in the League of Ireland.

## Season summary

The season began with the Leinster Senior Cup and they were knocked out in the Quarter finals by St. Mochta's of the Leinster Senior League.
The league season consisting of 36 matches (four series of nine matches) began on 16 February 2024. A poor start to the league programme, which saw Dundalk at the foot of the table with no wins after eight matches, resulted in O'Donnell being let go. He was replaced on an interim basis by the club's Head of Football operations, Brian Gartland, and first team coach, Liam Burns.
Noel King, a former player of the club, was subsequently named manager on 20 April. His tenure lasted 25 days before he resigned, citing medical issues. By this point, Gartland had also been let go, ending his 11-year association with the club. Liam Burns resumed the interim manager role before Jon Daly was subsequently appointed as the club's new manager.
The club briefly saw an improvement in form. However, after several defeats and with seven games left to play, Daly confirmed rumours that players and staff at the club had not been paid. It was subsequently revealed that the club had amassed debts in excess of €1 million and was in immediate danger of insolvency. The club was subsequently rescued by a Dundalk-based barrister, John Temple. But they were relegated with two games remaining following a string of defeats, with Daly also confirming that he would leave the club after the final match.
During the season, a new club record was set of eight home league matches in a row without conceding a goal. TJ Molloy-Murray became the club's youngest first-team player at 15 years and 7 months in the final league match of the season.
In the FAI Cup, they went out in the first round to Drogheda United.

### First-Team Squad (2024)

Sources: Note: Substitute appearances in brackets
| No. | Name | DOB | Pos. | Debut | League | League | FAI Cup | FAI Cup | Leinster Cup | Leinster Cup | Totals | Totals |
| No. | Name | DOB | Pos. | Debut | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | Ross Munro | 1 April 2000 | GK | 2024 | 19 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2 | Archie Davies | 7 October 1998 | DF | 2023 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
| 3 | Jamie Walker | 21 February 2001 | DF | 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Andy Boyle | 7 March 1991 | DF | 2013 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 5 | Louie Annesley | 3 May 2000 | DF | 2023 | 3 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Koen Oostenbrink | 26 January 2000 | MF | 2024 | 9 (5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 7 | Daryl Horgan | 10 August 1992 | FW | 2014 | 34 (2) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 40 | 4 |
| 8 | Robbie Benson | 7 May 1992 | MF | 2016 | 28 (2) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 4 |
| 9 | Jamie Gullan | 2 July 1999 | FW | 2024 | 24 (7) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 6 |
| 10 | Robbie Mahon | 6 June 2003 | FW | 2024 | 7 (12) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 11 | Ryan O'Kane | 16 August 2003 | Winger | 2021 | 14 (19) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 4 |
| 12 | George Shelvey | 22 April 2001 | GK | 2024 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 13 | Zak Johnson | 30 July 2004 | DF | 2024 | 17 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 14 | Cameron Elliott | 27 May 1999 | FW | 2023 | 7 (10) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 15 | Mayowa Animasahun | 8 August 2003 | DF | 2021 | 16 (3) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 16 | Hayden Muller | 7 February 2002 | DF | 2023 | 10 (6) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| 16 | Felix Godard | 9 March 2004 | GK | 2024 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 17 | Dara Keane | 24 December 1998 | MF | 2024 | 1 (12) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 18 | Scott High | 15 February 2001 | MF | 2024 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| 18 | Josh O'Connor | 16 June 2004 | FW | 2024 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Vincent Leonard | 21 March 2008 | MF | 2024 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | Luke Mulligan | 13 November 2007 | MF | 2024 | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 21 | Paul Doyle | 10 April 1998 | MF | 2022 | 15 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 22 | Sam Durrant | 16 February 2002 | Winger | 2023 | 6 (12) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 22 | TJ Molloy-Murray | 4 April 2009 | FW | 2024 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | John Mountney | 22 February 1993 | MF | 2012 | 24 (4) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| 24 | Eoin Kenny | 30 December 2005 | FW | 2024 | 9 (16) | 2 | 0 (1) | 0 | 2 (2) | 1 | 30 | 3 |
| 25 | Sean Molloy | 23 February 2005 | GK | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 26 | Sean Keogh | 15 April 2006 | DF | 2024 | 10 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 27 | Scott McGill | 27 January 2002 | MF | 2024 | 2 (7) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 28 | Bobby Faulkner | 5 August 2004 | DF | 2024 | 3 (1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 29 | Ciaran McGuckin | 30 December 2003 | FW | 2024 | 2 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 30 | Zak Bradshaw | 22 September 2003 | DF | 2024 | 17 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 36 | Dan Pike | 9 January 2002 | DF | 2024 | 8 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 37 | Norman Garbett | 27 February 2004 | MF | 2024 | 0 (6) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 38 | Hayden Cann | 1 October 2003 | DF | 2024 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 39 | Aodh Dervin | 21 July 1999 | MF | 2024 | 12 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 40 | Jad Hakiki | 23 June 2004 | MF | 2024 | 8 (4) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |

## Competitions

Win  Draw  Loss

### Premier Division
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 6 | Sligo Rovers | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 40 | 51 | −11 | 49 | |
| 7 | Waterford | 36 | 13 | 6 | 17 | 43 | 47 | −4 | 45 | |
| 8 | Bohemians | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 39 | 43 | −4 | 42 | |
| 9 | Drogheda United (O) | 36 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 41 | 58 | −17 | 34 | Qualification for promotion/relegation play-off and Conference League second qualifying round |
| 10 | Dundalk (R) | 36 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 23 | 50 | −27 | 26 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
* ↑ transferred to Carlisle United after Round 23
* ↑ transferred to Braintree Town after Round 22
* ↑ contract cancelled 29 May 2024
* ↑ on loan from Sunderland until Round 23
* ↑ transferred to East Kilbride after Round 24
* ↑ transferred to Sutton United after Round 23
* ↑ on loan from Blackburn Rovers from Round 24
* ↑ on loan from Huddersfield Town until Round 14
* ↑ on loan from Hibernian from Round 25
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 23
* ↑ on loan from Doncaster Rovers from Round 23
* ↑ on loan from Rotherham United until Round 7
* ↑ on loan from Lincoln City until Round 21
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 24
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 23
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 23
* ↑ signed ahead of FAI Cup first round
* ↑ signed ahead of Round 23
* ↑ Drogheda United qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round as the 2024 FAI Cup winners.

### Fourth Round Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Drogheda United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 |
| Dundalk | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 |
| Bohemians | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Malahide | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 0 |