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Academy Round-Up | July 19–20
- Sean McGuinness
- Jul 22
- 3 min read
It was a busy and entertaining weekend for Dundalk FC’s academy teams, with strong performances and standout moments across all four fixtures.
Saturday, July 19th
MU20s: Dundalk 5–1 Bray Wanderers
The Men’s U20s produced an emphatic display at Oriel Park to brush aside Bray Wanderers 5-1 in Tier 2 of the EA SPORTS League of Ireland.
C. Alfred set the tone with a goal in the opening minute, before C. Spaight doubled the lead six minutes later.
TJ Molloy made it 3-0 just before the half-hour mark, and Alfred struck again in the 69th minute. C. Kavanagh rounded off the scoring late on to complete a dominant team performance.
WU17s: Drogheda United 0–0 Dundalk
The Women’s U17s shared the spoils in a tight 0-0 draw away to Drogheda United.
In a match that lacked goals but not effort, both sides created chances, but solid defending and strong goalkeeping at either end kept things level. A point apiece was a fair result on the day.
Sunday, July 20th
WU19s: Athlone Town 3–1 Dundalk
A youthful Women’s U19s side showed plenty of heart in their clash against an experienced Athlone Town outfit but came up short in a 3-1 defeat.
M. O’Connor pulled one back in the 80th minute with a composed finish, and the young Lilywhites pushed until the final whistle.
It was a proud day for Eimear McCabe, who delivered a standout performance on her WU19 debut, alongside first appearances at this level for two other players, a positive sign for the future.
MU17s: Dundalk 2–1 Bray Wanderers
The Men’s U17s continued their impressive form with a solid 2-1 win at home to Bray Wanderers.
J. Martin struck midway through the first half to give Dundalk the lead, and after Bray equalized, P. Ibikunle popped up with the winner in the 80th minute to ensure all three points stayed in Oriel.
Development Tournament Highlights
MU15s – Three Tough Tests
It was a competitive day of football for the Men’s U15s at their development tournament, with plenty of lessons and positives to take away.
The squad edged out Klub Kildare in a tight opener, narrowly lost to UCD, and fell to a strong Wexford side in their final game. Despite mixed results, the group showed great energy and togetherness throughout, a worthwhile experience overall.
MU14s – A Standout Weekend
The Men’s U14s were in sparkling form at their development tournament, putting in three strong performances.
After a narrow defeat to Athlone, the young Lilywhites bounced back impressively with two excellent wins over Longford and Mayo.
There were goals, grit, and plenty of promise on display. New signing Charlie Franzoni made an instant impact, opening his account with two goals, while Cory Mulholland also found the net with a well-taken header against Longford.
A fantastic weekend for a group that, despite playing up a year, continues to impress.
Summary
With two league wins, a draw, a tough WU19 test, and outstanding performances in the development tournaments, it was a hugely encouraging weekend for Dundalk FC’s academy teams.
From debut performances to new goal scorers, and from clean sheets to clinical finishes, the next generation of Lilywhites continues to show their quality and character.
