Arubi's goal puts Dundalk FC back in the driving seat atop the SSE Airtricity First Division
Dundalk opened up a four point lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division table on Friday night as Gbemi Arubi's third goal of the season proved decisive in securing a third win of the campaign against Cobh Ramblers at Oriel Park.
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Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
There's no denying the battling qualities of this Dundalk FC team showing commendable determination
SE Airtricity League Men's First at Division The Argus Today at 21:30 Dundalk had to dig deep into their reserves of character to win Friday's top of the table clash with their nearest challengers in the First Division of the SSE Airtricity League, Cobh Ramblers, to emerge with all three points courtesy of an opportunist finish from striker, Gbemi Arubi. Having surrendered their cherished unbeaten record only five days previously away to Finn Harps which allowed the Cork side to close the gap at the top of the table to a single point, Ciaran Kilduff's men were under the most intense pressure of the campaign to get a result, for defeat would have seen the six point lead they enjoyed a few weeks transformed into a one point deficit.
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cobh Ramblers closing on new investor to replace FC32
Cobh Ramblers are on the verge of securing an investor to replace FC32, the multi-club group which took the Cork club out of member ownership last October. Fears grew over their sustainability just six months into the regime when FC32 withdrew funding from another club, Austrian outfit SKN St Polten. Cobh distanced themselves from that international setback for the holding company but sought fresh backers to maintain what's been their strongest First Division campaign since returning to the LOI in 2013. Player wages have been unaffected by the ownership uncertainty and manager Mick McDermott has the backing of the hierarchy to strengthen in the window opening on Tuesday. Despite missing the chance of going top of the table on Friday by losing 1-0 at leaders Dundalk, the manager believes the four-point gap is surmountable over the remaining 15 games. That confidence is hardened by renewed blood in the boardroom. Cobh's custodians were in negotiations with a few suitors when exploring the prospects of private ownership and the interest levels didn't disappear once they settled one party. 'FC32 are in the process of handing ownership over to another investment group,' explained McDermott, a Belfast native previously assistant to Carlos Queiroz during Iran's 2018 World Cup appearance. 'The process has been ongoing for a month and I believe will be completed imminently. 'I'm not privy to the details other than knowing that new people are taking over. That's a good thing for the club.' McDermott's last job was a near four-year spell at the helm of Glentoran. He admitted he was part of a Northern-Ireland consortium that pitched to buy Dundalk from Peak 6 in late 2021. It was eventually offloaded to a company led by former co-owner Andy Connolly and Statsports but financial trouble soon brewed. That deepened after Brian Ainscough took control at the end of 2023 and the current owner, John Temple, stepped in late last year as relegation loomed. He cited Dundalk's demise as a cautionary tale about the precarious nature of the league he joined in December. Mystery surrounding the set-up at the oldest club in the country, Athlone Town, anchored to the basement of the second tier, consolidates his viewpoint. 'I'm surprised to see in my short time here how volatile the league is,' he confessed. 'You have the Athlone Town situation, Dundalk has changed owners and you hear stories. 'When a major American investor like Peak 6 withdraws, like it did from Dundalk, it shows how quickly a team can fall from the high of Premier champions. 'It is an uncertain industry but there are investors looking to buy football clubs – especially in Ireland. I'm not sure of all the reasons why but they are. 'Hopefully ours get over the line in the next few days to give that added stability.' McDermott assembled a team hardwired with players from Cork City and Waterford teams that gained promotion in the past two years. His Dundalk counterpart, Ciarán Kilduff, is adding two Premier Division stalwarts in JR Wilson and Declan McDaid for the final lap of the title race and there'll be activity at St Colman's Park too. 'Coming into the job so late in December, we knew how crucial the July transfer window would be to promotion,' explained the 51-year-old. 'Our objective was to be high up the table by now and we're in a great position. 'Four points of a lead at this stage of the season is nothing. There's 45 points to play for and a transfer window. 'We've been light of players for a few weeks from losing seven for various reasons but hopefully we get some signings over the line this week. 'There's no point waiting until the end of the window. You can't survive a 36-game season with 15 players. Quantity is important as well as quality.' Being within touching distance of the one automatic ticket to the 2026 top-flight is good enough for the manager. He doesn't want to settle for the arduous playoffs. 'People think you need to beat Dundalk twice or three times to win the title but it's about beating all the others,' he noted. 'Up until last Friday, we had the most wins, clean sheets and goals, so we're doing something right. 'I've been in this situation before. Sometimes it's good to be chasing. It can be tough at the top because the air gets thin up there. 'It's a credit to see Dundalk celebrating so vigorously after beating Cobh Ramblers. I don't think they'd feel that way a year ago so it's nice to see that respect for us. 'We had to build our squad and staff within a month but my time since has gone in a blink of the eye. The players, committee and fans have been superb. 'My family are back in Belfast while I'm here full-time but I've been welcomed since coming to Cobh. I'm really looking forward to seeing where these last 15 games bring us.'
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Arubi's goal puts Dundalk FC back in the driving seat atop the SSE Airtricity First Division
Dundalk opened up a four point lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division table on Friday night as Gbemi Arubi's third goal of the season proved decisive in securing a third win of the campaign against Cobh Ramblers at Oriel Park.
