2019 Dundalk F.C. season

The new season's curtain raiser - the President's Cup - was played on 9 February in Turners Cross (stadium) between Dundalk and Cork City, the runners-up in both league and cup the previous year. Dundalk won on a 2-1 scoreline.[2] The 36 round League programme commenced on 15 February 2019, and was completed on 25 October 2019. Dundalk retained their title with four games to spare, sealing the title in Oriel Park with a 3–2 victory over Shamrock Rovers on 23 September 2019.[3] They had already won the League Cup, defeating Derry City on penalties in the Brandywell nine days earlier.[4] Chasing a domestic Treble, they were defeated in a penalty shoot-out in the FAI Cup final by Shamrock Rovers.[5] But they ended the season with a comprehensive 7–1 aggregate victory over Northern Irish champions, Linfield, in the inaugural Champions Cup (All-Ireland) – bringing the trophy haul in Perth's rookie season to four.[6]

In Europe Dundalk entered the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round. After being seeded in the draw, they faced Riga, drawing the home leg in Oriel Park 0-0. The away leg in Riga was the club's 70th match in European football, which also finished 0-0. After extra-time failed to separate the sides, they won 5–4 in a sudden-death penalty shootout – their first in Europe, becoming the first Irish side to win a tie in that manner.[7] They were knocked out in the second qualifying round by Qarabağ when a 1–1 home draw was followed by a 3–0 defeat away in Baku, which saw them receive a bye into the Europa League Third qualifying round.[8] Their interest in Europe for the season ended there, with a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Slovan Bratislava. Both Qarabağ and Slovan subsequently reached the group stage of the Europa League.[9]

First-Team Squad (2019)

Sources:[10][11]

2019 squad warm-up before a match in Oriel Park

Squad No.	Name	Date of Birth	Position	Debut season	League appearances	Goals
1	Gary Rogers	25 September 1981	GK	2015	35	0
2	Seán Gannon	11 July 1991	DF	2014	33	1
3	Brian Gartland	4 November 1986	DF	2013	22	2
4	Seán Hoare	15 March 1994	DF	2017	28	4
5	Chris Shields	27 December 1990	MF	2012	29	0
6	Jordan Flores	4 October 1995	MF	2019	16	1
7	Michael Duffy	28 July 1994	MF	2017	34	12
8	John Mountney	22 February 1993	MF	2012	23	6
9	Patrick Hoban	28 July 1991	FW	2013	34	13
10	Jamie McGrath	30 September 1996	MF	2017	26	2
11	Patrick McEleney	26 September 1992	MF	2016	24	2
12	Georgie Kelly	12 November 1996	FW	2018	29	8
14	Dane Massey	17 April 1988	DF	2013	23	2
15	Stephen Folan	14 January 1992	DF	2018	0	0
16	Seán Murray	11 October 1993	MF	2019	25	3
17	Cameron Dummigan	2 June 1996	DF	2019	14	1
18	Robbie Benson	7 May 1992	MF	2016	13	1
20	Aaron McCarey	14 January 1992	GK	2019	1	0
21	Daniel Cleary	9 March 1996	DF	2018	23	2
22	Joe McKee[lower-alpha 1]	31 October 1992	MF	2019	5	0
27	Daniel Kelly	21 May 1996	MF	2019	33	9
28	Lido Lotefa	18 April 2000	FW	2019	3	0
29	Dylan Hand	15 March 1999	DF	2019	1	0
30	Ross Treacy	26 September 1998	GK	2018	0	0
33	Dean Jarvis	1 June 1992	DF	2018	19	1
44	Andy Boyle	7 March 1991	DF	2013	8	1