Once there was gloom and near doom at Dundalk, now the Lilywhites have blossomed

When the full story of Dundalk’s three-in-a-row champions is written, space must be spared for the lesser-known cult heroes who helped lay the foundations.

Michael Rafter playing for Derry City

There’s Colin Scanlon, for one. With Dundalk looking likely to spend another season in the First Division, Scanlon scored a final-day, stoppage-time leveller for Limerick against Shelbourne to deny the Dubs the 2008 title, and send Dundalk up.

And then there’s Michael Rafter, a man who played only one season with the now champions. As Dundalk plummeted to the bottom of the Premier Division in 2012, it was Rafter who scored the two goals that turned a relegation play-off in their favour.