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Academy Round-Up | September 27th–28th
- Dundalk FC
- Sep 30
- 5 min read
It was another strong weekend of action for Dundalk FC’s academy sides, with victories for the WU17s, WU19s, MU17s, and MU15s, while the MU20s earned a hard-fought point on the road.
Saturday, September 27th
WU17s: Longford Town 0–2 Dundalk
Our girls made the trip down to Longford yesterday and continued their good form. Starting off brightly and strong, our first chance fell to Sara Burke, whose shot went just wide of the post on 12 minutes.
On 20 minutes, Siun Kirby delivered a pin-point cross from a corner for the onrushing Eimear McCabe, whose strong header produced a stunning save from the Longford goalkeeper, tipping the ball onto the crossbar and out for a corner.
Siun Kirby took the next corner with another excellent delivery, this time Liadh Tobin connecting with a header which was cleared off the line, but fell for Eimear McCabe to dispatch into the net and get her first goal for the club to make it 1–0.
In the second half, Sophie Levins was introduced from the bench and turned the game on its head. Sophie’s deft touches and probing runs led to our second goal, with Georgia Hall setting her up just inside the box. Levins unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot into the top of the net, making it 2–0 and leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
The impressive Lauren McGuire was a constant threat down the right wing with her blistering pace, and a sublime through ball by Lanah Sherlock set Lauren in on goal, only for the goalkeeper to pull off a brilliant save.
Georgia Hall was working Longford’s back four for most of the second half, and a chance came for her through some brilliant work in the box, only for the Longford goalkeeper to come to the rescue again.
Danielle Cromwell was impressive in midfield, winning all her headers from Longford’s long kickouts and setting up Dundalk’s attacking play.
A solid win yesterday, with the 20 players all playing their part, as Dundalk moved up to second in Tier 2.
MU20s: Athlone Town 0–0 Dundalk
The MU20s came away from Athlone with a point after a competitive clash that ended scoreless. Despite creating chances, Dundalk couldn’t find the breakthrough, but a strong defensive display ensured a clean sheet and a share of the spoils.
MU15s: Dundalk 1–0 Derry City
The MU15s edged out Derry thanks to a 61st-minute goal from Charlie Franzoni. After sustained pressure, Franzoni provided the decisive moment to secure all three points in a closely contested affair.
Sunday, September 28th
MU14s: Derry City 0–1 Dundalk
An early rise saw our MU14’s squad kick off at Ardmore on the outskirt hills of Derry. With expectations high, the team had promised to deliver a promising performance after a convincing 5–1 victory against Derry City earlier in the season. The home side, however, came out with gritted teeth.
Opening the game in typical Dundalk fashion, we saw exciting 1v1 duels from our wingers delivering promising balls across the box. With chances coming from all sides, it was clear who was in control. Unable to convert, Dundalk ended the first period with the confidence that more chances would appear.
The second period followed suit, leading to a penalty. It was not to be, as penalty taker Massimo Ngene was unable to convert, egging the opposition back into the game for a short period.
The final break reflected the first, with cool tones and a collective understanding that a goal was to be had. In a strong final third, Charlie Franzoni scored another header, building on his game-winner to a Derry U15s side the day before.
MU17s: Dundalk 3–1 Derry City
Dundalk MU17s made it four wins from the last five games when they hosted Derry City this past Sunday afternoon at Oriel Park.
In the first half, Dundalk controlled the majority of the possession, but it was a back-and-forth opening with Derry, who created a couple of chances from set pieces. In the 44th minute, Taiye Odusanya had a shot on goal that was saved by the Derry keeper and spilled. As Taiye ran in to finish the rebound, he was brought to ground by one of the Derry defenders. A penalty was awarded, and Oisín Smyth stepped up to coolly slot it home.
Less than two minutes later, Derry equalised from a corner to make it 1–1 going into half-time.
In the second half, Dundalk came flying out of the blocks and took the lead in the 51st minute through Dara Ibikunle, who intercepted a pass back from a Derry defender to the keeper. He rounded the keeper and blasted a shot that hit the post and went in to put Dundalk 2–1 up.
Dundalk continued to pile pressure on Derry, and that paid off in the 87th minute when Taiye Odusanya played a clever ball through for Feranmi Makinwa, who slotted it past the substitute Derry keeper into the bottom corner.
Another solid performance and win from the MU17s, coupled with results elsewhere, puts them one point clear in second place entering the last two games of Tier 2 North. Our MU17s continue their phase this Sunday when they face Mayo away.
WU19s: Dundalk 4–1 Sligo Rovers
Another very strong performance from the Dundalk WU19 squad.
It was a lightning start from the girls, with Shauna Kate Smyth dominating the opening stages and supplying Ernesta Marut to make it 1–0 very early in the game. Dundalk had a number of chances throughout the half but unfortunately found themselves level after a good counter-press and finish from Sligo, who were constantly dangerous throughout the match.
Just before half-time, another good attacking moment paid off with Alicia Maher slipping Ernesta in for her second goal of the game at close range.
The second half started very much like the first, with Dundalk dominating the ball, and on 47 minutes, Megan O’Connor stepped up to strike an unstoppable free kick into the top corner of the net. Ten minutes later, Ciara Brady topped off an impressive performance with a goal of her own, a reward for hard work and the strike that sealed the game for Dundalk.
Dundalk made a number of changes during the second half and continued to look dangerous until the final whistle.
This is a very talented squad. The girls continue to push each other and their levels, and it is great to see their hard work paying off in performances and results. There were some excellent individual moments from Megan and Shauna, but today, Club Captain Aoife Fanning was outstanding. A great team performance, and three points for the Dundalk girls. 👏
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Summary
Another productive weekend for Dundalk’s academy, highlighted by standout goals from Sophie Levins, Megan O’Connor, and Charlie Franzoni. The WU19s produced an emphatic win, the MU17s climbed into second place, and the WU17s showed resilience on the road. With results continuing to improve across the age groups, confidence and momentum are building strongly within the academy setup.
