.png)
Academy Round-Up | July 12–13
- Sean McGuinness
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
It was a busy and exciting weekend for Dundalk FC’s academy teams, with goals flying in across several age groups and some excellent performances both home and away.
Saturday July 12th
MU20s: Derry City 0-2 Dundalk
The Men's U20s picked up a solid 2-0 win on the road against Derry City in the EA SPORTS League of Ireland Tier 2 North. C. Alfred opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a composed finish, before T. McLoughlin doubled the lead midway through the second half.
Dundalk managed the game well from start to finish, showing good structure and patience to claim all three points.
WU17s: Dundalk 2-0 Longford Town
At home, the Women’s U17s put in a confident display to defeat Longford Town 2-0. After a cagey first half, S. Levins broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute following a clever assist from N. Smyth.
As Longford pushed forward late on, Dundalk made the result safe with a second goal in the 85th minute courtesy of S. Burke, who capped off a strong team move.
MU15s: Derry City 3-1 Dundalk
The Men's U15s suffered a tough 3-1 defeat away to Derry City despite a promising first-half performance. C. Mullany gave the visitors the lead in the 33rd minute, finishing well after being teed up by J. Weldon. However, Derry responded strongly after the interval, scoring three unanswered goals in the second half to take the victory.
Sunday July 13th
WU19s: Dundalk 3-0 St. Patrick’s Athletic
The Women’s U19s turned on the style to beat St. Patrick’s Athletic 3-0 in Group B of the LOI Academy WU19 League. M. O’Connor opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a tidy finish after a well-weighted pass from N. Dowd.
Aoife Fanning made it 2-0 shortly after the restart, slotting home in the 48th minute following good work by E. Marut. C. Brady then wrapped things up midway through the second half, converting from close range after a precise assist from M. Treanor.
MU17s: Derry City 3-3 Dundalk
In one of the weekend’s most dramatic games, the Men’s U17s battled to a 3-3 draw away to Derry City in the EA SPORTS League of Ireland Tier 2 North.
S. Casey put Dundalk ahead from the penalty spot in the 8th minute, but Derry roared back with three goals to take a 3-1 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.
Dundalk showed real spirit as P. Ibikunle pulled one back in the 75th minute, and J. Vocella equalised just four minutes later.
The match ended in fiery fashion with a second yellow card for Dundalk’s S. Platt in the 85th minute, before Derry’s J. Strunks received a straight red in added time.
MU14s: Drogheda United 1-12 Dundalk
Capping off the weekend in emphatic style, the Men's U14s ran riot with a sensational 12-1 victory away to Drogheda United in the EA SPORTS MU14 Cup.
Despite falling behind in the 4th minute, Dundalk equalised almost immediately through an own goal by A. Kirwan before Massimo Ngene added a second in the 6th minute. Ngene went on to complete a hat-trick with further goals in the 56th and 90th minutes. B. McCarney also grabbed four goals in a devastating display, scoring in the 43rd, 58th, 60th, and 74th minutes.
Ryan Musgrave struck twice in quick succession early in the second half, while Luciano Ngene and L. Hyland added further goals to round off a dominant performance.
Summary
With five wins, a draw, and just one defeat across seven fixtures, it was a hugely encouraging weekend for Dundalk FC’s academy sides. From disciplined defensive efforts to free-flowing attacking football, the Lilywhites continue to impress at every level as the next generation of talent makes its mark.
