Dundalk entered the 1990–91 season having ended the previous season trophy-less for the first time since Turlough O'Connor's debut season as manager in 1985–86. They also had no European football, having not qualified for any of the competitions the season before. It was Dundalk's 65th consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football.
Season summary A number of key players from the Double-winning 1987–88 season had moved on at the end of 1989–90, and they were joined early on by Tony Cousins, who signed for Liverpool in September. A new look side opened the season with a 7–0 hammering of Longford Town in the Leinster Senior Cup, but some poor results saw early exits in both the Leinster Cup and the League of Ireland Cup. The 33-round League programme commenced on 2 September 1990, and in the opening match Dundalk were well beaten by Shelbourne, 5–1. That defeat, after a poor sequence, sparked a recovery and, with the exception of two defeats to newly promoted Sligo Rovers, they went the rest of the season unbeaten. Midway through the season, however, they suffered a shock 1–0 defeat in the FAI Cup to non-League Ashtown Villa. The league schedule was completed on 21 April 1991 and, in an end of season, winner takes all match in Turner's Cross against Cork City, Dundalk won the title for the eighth time, with the winning goal being scored by cult hero, Tom McNulty.
First-Team Squad (1990–91) Sources: No.NameYearsLeagueFAI CupLeague CupLeinster CupTotalGoals1 1985–1993 33 1 3 2 39 02 1977–1995 29 1 3 1 34 03 James Coll 1989–1995 31 1 2 0 34 34 1990–1993 32 1 1 1 35 15 1986–1994 28 1 3 1 33 26 Dave Mackey 1988–1993 28 1 3 1 33 37 Michael Kavanagh 1990–1994 29 1 3 2 35 18 Tom McNulty 1984–2000 32 1 3 1 37 109 1990–1994 32 1 2 1 36 2010 1986–1993 33 1 3 0 37 1011 Mick Shelley 1985–1993 33 1 3 1 38 112 Paul Brady 1990–1993 17 0 3 1 21 113 1988–1990 4 0 2 1 7 714 1989–1991 7 1 0 1 9 115 Eamon Synnott 1990–1992 15 0 0 2 17 1
Competitions Leinster Senior Cup Source: First round
Second round
League Cup Source: Group
Did not qualify for Quarter-final
Premier Division Source:
League table
FAI Cup
First round
Awards Player of the Month MonthPlayerReferencesOctober Peter HanrahanApril Tom McNulty
Footnotes
References Bibliography
Citations