Dundalk manager Ian Foster is “clamping down heavily” on ill-discipline and has set about restoring some pride to the club after the Lilywhites accumulated a European record of 20 red cards last year. In Foster’s first five games as boss there has been no sign of the ill-discipline which was so often in evidence at the club last term, and if anyone steps out of line the 33-year-old says he will deal with it immediately.

Clamping down
“The yellow card today was for a tackle, obviously a mis-timed tackle, but I don’t mind that,” he told dundalkfc.com after Saturday afternoon's 1-0 win over Derry City. “If they’re honest challenges, great. If it’s for dissent, I’ll come after them. I’m not having that. I’ll clamp down heavily on dissent, kicking the ball away, having a go at referees, any petulance, anything like that. I’m not having that, because we’ll have a small squad, we can’t have suspensions.”

Options open
The former Galway United manager went on to rule out a return to Oriel Park for last year’s crowd favourite Michael McGowan, but revealed that John Flood and Robert Bayly are still options despite being absent from the victory over Derry. It had been hoped that McGowan, who was recently training at Rangers, would yet reappear at the club for the first time since November. However, Foster stated that only Michael Synnott, Michael Coburn and Simon Kelly may still be retained from last season’s squad, if he can agree deals with the trio, who have all been involved in pre-season training since it started on 25 January.

McGowan gone
“Michael McGowan won’t be back with us this year,” Foster said. “Michael Coburn is recovering from an achilles tendon injury so we’ll have a look at Michael if we get an opportunity. And with Michael Synnott, we’ll try to get something done there. Other than that I don’t see any other lads from last season coming in. Simon Kelly might be a possibility, but we’ll have to wait and see - it will come down to how much we have left. John Flood is ill. He was actually ill on Thursday and obviously playing on Thursday has made him a little bit worse. He phoned this morning and just said he couldn’t do it, he wasn’t well enough. Robert Bayly is Godfather at a christening today, so he’ll be training with us on Monday.”

Winning mentality
Commenting on the game itself, the former Liverpool striker said: “I’m pleased. It was two decent tests for us in the space of three days, against good opposition. The lads worked hard in training yesterday (Friday) as well, so I was pleased with the performance, pleased with the work-rate, and obviously delighted to keep a clean-sheet again. It’s five games in, four wins and a draw, and plenty of clean-sheets in there as well. Pre-season is not about results, but if you can get into winning ways, it helps, getting that winning mentality. I’m delighted that we’ve won the last four pre-season games.”

Money talks
The signing of Derry match-winner JJ Melligan at the weekend brought Foster’s squad to 13 players, and he admitted afterwards that his focus remains on midfield and attack, although he stated his desire to tie down full-backs Jason Mok and Michael Synnott. “We’re still looking at probably a body in midfield and a body in the strikeforce, and we’re working hard to get those bodies in,” he said. “Defensively, we have options with Mok and Synnott. If we can get the money together to bring those lads in, I’d like to bring them in, because they’re good lads and they have been excellent in pre-season for me. If I have the funds I will offer those two boys something. At the moment, it’s a striker and midfielder we’re looking for. I don’t want to keep these boys hanging on here. They have been fair to me and I want to be fair to them, but my priorities are in two other positions. But I would like to keep those boys at the club if I’m being greedy.”

Captain TBD
Neale Fenn, Matt Gregg, Alan Cawley, Garry Breen, Shaun Kelly and Peter Cherrie have all captained the side in pre-season, but Foster will not decide on a club captain until shortly before Friday’s friendly at Monaghan United. “We’ll do it for the Monaghan game,” he said. “I said that, don’t read anything into it. Different players have captained the side, and what it is is that it gives them respect in the dressing room, it gives them a little bit of authority and a little bit of pressure on them to go out and captain the side. It’s something that I did last year. I handed the captaincy around in pre-season, but we’ll announce the captain and the vice-captain for the season before the Monaghan game.”