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Drogheda United have appointed Pete Mahon as their new permanent manager.

Mahon took charge of the club on a temporary basis for the final game of the 2015 season – a 5-2 defeat to Shamrock Rovers that saw the club relegated – as interim coach Mark Kinsella didn't have the requisite qualifications to continue.

Kinsella is set to be retained as first-team coach under the new regime, while former Dundalk manager John Gill will act as assistant to Mahon, having previously worked under the Dubliner during a successful spell with St Patrick's Athletic.

Mahon is charged with overseeing the Boynesiders' first spell outside the top division since 2003, and is faced with a rebuilding job following the departure of captain Mick Daly for Bray Wanderers.

“I’m very happy to be taking on this challenge at a great club like Drogheda United,” Mahon told the club's website.

“Our main aim will be to get Drogheda back to where they belong and that’s playing Premier Division football. This past season has been very disappointing but I want us to create a buzz around United Park once again.

“At this stage of my career, I’m not taking a job on for the money but for the passion for the game. I enjoyed my time at Drogheda last season having worked closely with all of the staff and Fiachra Kierans and Dermot McKenna were vital in my decision to take on the role.

“I see myself taking the job as like a new broom. We need to sweep away the cobwebs of the past and start afresh. it’s not going to be an easy task as the First Division looks its most competitive in years with big clubs like ourselves and Limerick going down.

“I’ve had challenges similar to this in the past with UCD and St Pats and thankfully I’ve been successful. It’s obviously going to be a difficult league to win but show me one that isn’t? It’s an eight team league and each side will have aspirations of promotion and we need to make sure we won’t be disappointed again this time next year.

“Whether the players from last season stay on next year is largely up to them. We’ve had a couple join Bray Wanderers already and there are a number that have made it clear that they won’t play First Division football next season and that’s absolutely fine with me.

“The squad of players that I want at Drogheda next season will be players who are proud to play for the club and will give everything I ask of them on the pitch. You only have to look at the FAI Cup Final last Sunday to see what two fully committed teams can achieve.

“We will be putting a squad together over the next number of weeks that I hope will be able to compete at the top of the First Division."

Mahon began his managerial career at Leinster Senior League club St Francis, guiding them to the FAI Cup final in 1990 and a brief stint in the League of Ireland, before successful periods in charge of UCD, with whom he lifted the First Division title, and Pats.