LAST UPDATE | 8 Jan 2018
DUNDALK HAVE COMPLETED two significant pieces of business this morning, with one new player arriving at Oriel Park and another returning after a year away on loan.
As well as announcing that Georgie Poynton has signed a new one-year deal following his season at Bohemians, the Lilywhites confirmed the signing of current Lithuanian international midfielder Karolis Chvedukas.
The 26-year-old, who has been capped 19 times by his country at senior level, moves to Dundalk from reigning Lithuanian champions Sลซduva Marijampolฤ. Chvedukas, who also had spells with RNK Split in Croatia and Chojniczanka Chojnice in Poland, has extensive experience in European competitions.
Last summer he featured in each leg of both ties as Sลซduva eliminated Swiss side FC Sion from the third round of the Europa League qualifiers, before they were eliminated by Ludogorets of Bulgaria. He has made 12 European appearances in total.
Chvedukas played five times in Lithuaniaโs 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, with his most recent cap coming in October when Harry Kane scored for England in their 1-0 win in Vilnius.
โI am very happy and excited to be here,โ Chvedukas told Dundalkโs official website. โToday was the first training session for me and I got to see how hard the players worked. It was a very hard session and I feel it in my body. It is pre-season now so we have four or five weeks and then we will start the season and I am looking forward to it.
โI know a little bit of history from Dundalk FC and I know that they play very well. We must do very well this season and I will try to help the team do the best they can. I see all the players are a very good group and they are all very friendly so we must do a good job this season. I will try to help the team this season and I think we will do well for the year ahead.โ
Meanwhile, Georgie Poynton is hoping to make his mark with Dundalk in 2018 after signing a new one-year contract with the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division club.
Poynton, whoโs still just 20, penned his first professional deal with the Oriel Park outfit in 2014. At the age of 16, the midfielder made his first-team debut in a 3-0 win away to Bray Wanderers in the EA Sports Cup in May of that year.
Having remained on the fringes of Stephen Kennyโs side as they dominated domestically and tasted unprecedented success in Europe, Poynton was sent out on loan to Bohemians last year. He was a regular for the Gypsies as they finished fifth in the top flight.
โIโm delighted to be back,โ Poynton said. โI had a good year last year and a good experience at Bohs so Iโm looking to kick on this year. Iโm delighted to be back at my hometown club.โ
The highlight of Poyntonโs time with Bohs came in July when he converted from the penalty spot at Turnerโs Cross to score the only goal of the game against Cork City, which ended the Leesidersโ 26-game unbeaten run in domestic competitions.
A former Republic of Ireland U19 captain, Poynton was named Irelandโs international player of the year at that grade at the FAI Awards in 2016.
Expressing his gratitude to Bohemians boss Keith Long and assistant manager Trevor Croly, Poynton said: โI had both good and bad experiences on loan last year and I think that will only stand to me going forward as a player.
โI really enjoyed my year at Dalymount Park and played the plus side of 30 games. Keith and Trevor were great to me, I havenโt a bad word to say about anyone at the club. Iโm thankful for the opportunity that I got last year and Iโm looking to kick on this year and hopefully I can break in to the team here.
โObviously as a team we will want to get the league back this year and win the cup too. We want to win the double and go as far as we can in Europe because obviously a lot of us here have tasted that in previous years. Then personally for myself I want to try and break into the first-team if possible.
โItโs going to be difficult. I know that as we have some top midfielders at this club. But itโs a challenge Iโm looking forward to and I canโt wait to get going.โ
Dundalk begin their season by contesting the Presidentโs Cup against Cork City at Oriel Park on Sunday, 11 February, before hosting Bray Wanderers for their Premier Division opener the following Friday.
Iโve held tongue for so long on this team this season and Iโve forgiven so many injuries and woeful individual performances, but today was just unacceptableโฆ
Sure, a lucky start for Bochum which was balanced by two soft penalties for Dortmund, but this is a derby. Already held us to a 1-1 earlier in the year, and they were basically safe prior to kick-off. Yet, somehow players like Akanji (god help whoever he goes to, probably Man Utd), Zagadou, Witsel and even backup Hitz in goal are just appalling. Fight our way back into it for 70mins only to fall asleep (bar Jude, Reus, Haaland, Wolf, and Gittens). I know we had multiple injuries again today, and the season is over, but for the love of God fight for the one home Derby weโve had all year.
Summer Rebuild canโt come quick enough.
Dortmund seem to be in holiday mode , this attitude should never be accepted in the professional game , itโs cheating a living and must be devastating for the cash paying fans .
@Tricksy: they have been in holiday mode for a few years now .. absolute disgrace
@Tricksy: Donโt tell the Borussia Bears from govan that