HOMETOWN TALK: RYAN O’KANE

Ryan O’Kane says Dundalk “have to keep fighting” as his hometown club look to pull off what appears almost mission impossible to extend their 16-season stay in the top flight, with double-chasing Derry City set to roll into town on Friday night.

The 21-year-old was speaking after another positive training session by Jon Daly’s men at Oriel Park, with the young forward echoing both his manager and captain John Mountney that there is belief within the camp that Dundalk can at least do what they need to.

The Lilywhites are rooted to the bottom of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table, eight points adrift of their County Louth rivals Drogheda United in ninth, with just three games remaining, which could hardly be tougher on paper.

Dundalk have back-to-back home games against title-chasing pair Derry, this Friday, and Shamrock Rovers, Sunday week, before a final-day trip to one of the league’s most in-form teams in FAI Cup finalists Drogheda.

To keep their hopes alive past this Friday, the 14-time League Champions must beat Derry and hope that Rovers are able to win on Boyneside. Should Dundalk win and Drogheda draw, it would not be mathematically done, but the margin in goal difference would make it unlikely that the Lilywhites could escape.

It’s not over until it’s over is the mood across the Dundalk dressing-room, despite recording just one win in 13 games since returning from the midseason break in late June, while they remain without a victory since comfortably beating Drogheda at Oriel in July.

O’Kane acknowledged that results have not been good enough but he pointed out that the team have shown quality in games, including in their draw at The Brandywell in August, and that the players have full belief that they can produce the unthinkable.

“It still doesn’t (feel real) that we’re in that position,” Ryan told dundalkfc.com, asked about the prospect of the club’s top-flight stay ending on Friday.

“It is a very tough situation we’re in. We just have to keep fighting. We didn’t expect to be here, we are, that’s the reality of it, and it’s just about now, these last three games, how can we give ourselves the best chance of getting out of it, and hoping there are a few favours along the way.

“We’re still positive. Training has been brilliant. We just have to focus on these last three games and go out with the mentality that we have to win all three. Obviously, we’ll need favours from other teams, but we just have to focus on ourselves.

“We’ve shown in games that the quality is there. It’s just getting those three points. We’ve been 1-0 up a few times and unfortunately let those leads slip, and either drawn the game or lost. We know it’s there, it’s just about holding out and finding that win.”

He added: “The results don’t lie. It obviously hasn’t been great since the Drogheda game. You just have to go again and treat every game as a new game. That’s what we have to do. Look, it hasn’t been good enough on our end results wise. There has been lots of stuff behind the scenes. All we can do is focus on what we do on the pitch.”

On the noise around town…

“It’s difficult. Your whole life revolves around the club. Family members have been here before, I’ve been here quite a while now. Everywhere I go, the conversation is going to be about football, obviously it’s going to be brought up.

“It’s tough in some aspects of it but it’s obviously great in another aspect when it’s going well, it’s great. But that’s what comes with the territory of playing football. You’re going to have to discuss the bad, you’re going to have to discuss the good.

“I still love playing my football, that’s not going to change. If that chat has to be had with someone, I don’t mind having it, it’s just part of it.”

On the importance of the supporters…

“The last home game against Bohs, the crowd was amazing. It was one of the biggest crowds that I’ve seen, maybe since that Drogheda game. The atmosphere was brilliant.

“These last two games at home are going to be absolutely huge, and then the last game of the season in Drogheda as well is hopefully going to be massive, we’re going to need them down there too.

“They’ve been brilliant all season, every game. We’ve been down in the dumps with things regarding behind the scenes and they’ve never let us down. Hopefully, there will be another amazing crowd on Friday night.”

On the Galway draw…

“I thought we defended excellently. It’s a very tough place to go. Rarely do teams go down there and pick up anything. They’re fighting for the title, which is hard to believe, they could have been two points off if they had grabbed a win. To pick up a point was massive and it could prove to be that at the end of the season.”

On upcoming matches…

“We beat Rovers here, we have them next week, and we probably could have beaten Derry the last time here and up in The Brandywell. We’re more than capable of going out and getting six points from those two games. I wouldn’t put it past us at all.

“We will go out with that mentality of winning those two games and hopefully we can get it to the last game of the season.”

On his own form…

“I feel like I could do better. But look, I’m always going to go out and give my all, and hopefully bring a few goals and assists along the way until the end of the season. I feel like I can always improve, I’m still improving, I’m still young.

“I just want to keep enjoying it at the end of the day and hopefully try to get us out of the situation that we’re in. Everything is positive in the camp, training is going really well and we’re building up to the game on Friday.”

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