Dundalk entered the 2013 season having spent the 2012 season rooted in the relegation play-off spot. The club had been put up for sale, and, with the assistance of a Supporters Trust, it was taken over by local businessmen Andy Connolly and Paul Brown (owners of the team's official sponsors, Fastfix). They subsequently managed to remain in the top-flight by winning a promotion/relegation play-off. With the takeover complete and the club saved, the new owners turned to Stephen Kenny - out of work since being sacked by Shamrock Rovers - to become the new manager ahead of the season. 2013 was Dundalk's fifth consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football, their 78th in all, and their 87th in the League of Ireland.
Season summary When the 33 round League programme commenced on 8 March 2013, neither supporters nor pundits were sure what to expect, and Dundalk failed to win any of the first five home matches. But with Kenny's team clicking into gear as his ideas took hold, they rose up the table to mount an unexpected title challenge, eventually finishing second - a defeat to eventual champions St. Patrick's Athletic ultimately costing them the title.
In the cup competitions, they exited in both the second round of the League Cup, and the quarter-final of the Leinster Senior Cup, to Shamrock Rovers. They reached the semi-final of the FAI Cup and were defeated 1–0 away to 'Louth Derby' rivals, Drogheda United, in a tempestuous game - referee Anthony Buttimer sent off two Dundalk players inside half an hour, and Drogheda took the lead from the penalty spot after the second red card. But the nine men of Dundalk prevented Drogheda scoring again.
First-Team Squad (2013) Sources:
NameDate of birthPositionDebut seasonLeague appearancesGoals 25 September 1981 GK 2009 33 0 6 January 1991 DF 2013 28 1 4 November 1986 DF 2013 13 2 7 March 1991 DF 2013 32 1 27 December 1990 MF 2012 19 1 15 January 1986 MF 2013 22 3 John Dillon 2 August 1988 MF 2013 29 5 22 February 1993 MF 2012 20 2 13 June 1987 FW 2013 22 1 Keith Ward 12 October 1990 MF 2013 17 1 9 April 1990 FW 2013 30 7 17 April 1988 DF 2013 30 4 17 July 1991 MF 2013 31 7 28 July 1991 FW 2013 28 14 Darren Meenan 1 October 1991 MF 2013 28 0 10 December 1988 FW 2003 21 5 27 May 1983 DF 2013 28 0 Stephen McDonnell 28 June 1992 MF 2012 11 0 Francis McCaffrey 22 April 1993 MF 2013 7 0 Jordan Keegan 5 February 1992 MF 2013 6 0 Eoghan Osbourne 5 March 1992 DF 2011 5 0
Competitions Premier Division
FAI Cup Source: Second round
Third round
Quarter Final
Semi-final
League Cup Source: First round
Second round
Leinster Senior Cup Source: Fourth round
Quarter Final
Awards Player of the Month MonthNationalityPlayerReference July Patrick Hoban August Richie Towell
PFAI Players' Young Player of the Year PersonReference Richie Towell
References