Burns ban intensifies Dundalk manager hunt
DUNDALK FC are hopeful of having a new manager in place for this Friday’s trip to face Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Following Noel King’s shock departure last Wednesday on health grounds after just four games in charge, owner Brian Ainscough has been working behind the scenes to appoint his second head coach in as many months.
While the club are understood to have received in the region of 70 applications following Stephen O’Donnell’s sacking at the start of April, the Boston-based owner is believed to have drawn up a list of managerial targets rather than opting to hold interviews.
One of the leading names linked to the Oriel Park vacancy is former Northern
Ireland boss Ian Baraclough.
The 53-year-old Englishman – who won a league, FAI Cup and Setanta Sports Cup in his three seasons in charge at Sligo Rovers from 2012 to 2014 – was previously linked to the job following O’Donnell’s departure, with initial talks having commenced with then head of football operations Brian Gartland, prior to the decision by Ainscough to appoint King.
Baraclough was unavailable for an immediate appointment at the time due to a short-term commitment he had as assistant manager at Cheltenham Town, who were battling to avoid the drop from League One.
He is now available, however, and while he wasn’t present in Oriel Park on Friday night for Dundalk’s 1-0 win over Shamrock Rovers, Gavin Peers – who played under him at Sligo – was spotted in the stand taking notes. Peers, who retired in 2022 following a stint with Warrenpoint Town, had been a first-team coach at Longford Town before departing following Stephen Henderson’s departure last month.
The news of King’s departure came as a shock to everyone, with the 67-yearold advised on medical grounds to step down from a role he had been in for just 25 days.
The former Republic of Ireland U21 manager had been planning for the future following Gartland’s departure a few days earlier, with Liam Buckley offered a role as his number two and other coaching options also being weighed up.
It is now back to the drawing board for Dundalk, who will have a new face on the sideline no matter what for this Friday’s trip to face a Galway United side who thumped the Lilywhites 4-0 on their last visit west in the FAI Cup last September.
Interim boss Liam Burns, who took charge of the side for the morale-boosting win over Rovers last weekend, picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during a half-time exchange of words with Hoops assistant Glenn Cronin and will be suspended for the game in Eamonn Deacy Park.
That has helped intensify the club’s search for a new manager but should a deal fail to materialise, Dave Mackey – who was on the sideline on Friday and previously was part of O’Donnell’s backroom team for his debut season at Oriel Park in 2022 – will take charge, with another coach brought in as a one-off to assist him.