Reinvigorated Dundalk passion spurs on the team

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny was full of praise for his players and the spirit they showed to overcome a determined Shelbourne side at Tolka Park on Friday.


Two goals in the opening 12 minutes secured all three points against a side who he has tipped to beat the drop on the strength of their performance during this defeat.


“It is a great victory and I felt coming here would be difficult due to the form they have been in of late and the renaissance they have had under John McDonnell and it was a dream start to do what we did for the second week in a row,” said Kenny.


“We were very good in the first half and then in the second Shels changed their shape and were more direct, causing us a lot of problems and really showed great spirit and I couldn’t see them getting relegated with that kind of performance but I felt we were deserving winners and it is a brilliant, brilliant night for us.”


The decorated manager spoke glowingly of the excitement and exhilaration reverberating around ‘Da Town’ at the moment as a result of the hard work that he and his coaching staff and players continue to put in which sees them eye up what would be an against the odds 10^th league title and their first since 1995.


“There is such euphoria and passion about this club just now. It is a club with a great history who spent seven years in the First Division so there was a lot of apathy over the last few seasons which is the feedback I have gotten obviously as I was no here and now this group of players have emerged and reawakened the passion for football in Dundalk.”


He continued: “As a result you have nine coachloads of people showing this passion by travelling to Dublin on a Friday because of the passion they have and the connection they have with these players and heroes are emerging now and it is what you want in a football town like Dundalk and we can play a big part between now and the end of the season.”


Although he insisted the strength his squad have as a whole, he singled out Darren Meenan, who put in both corners for the Dundalk goals, and winning goalscorer Andy Boyle for special praise for their displays in helping his side to victory.


“When I signed Darren I didn’t really know that was his strong point because we had good dead ball players like Keith Ward and John Dillon taking them but as the season has progressed his set pieces have gone really well for us and the movement is good for them and have produced tremendous finishes,” the ex-Shamrock Rovers boss said.


Of Gartland, who signed from Portadown last month, he continued by saying: “I cannot believe how good he has been, he is a fantastic signing and you never know quite how a player will settle in given that it was off-season for him and he has never really played much in the Premier Division before but alongside Andy who has been Mr Consistency he has been so good.”


Sligo Rovers loom large next for Dundalk in a mouth-watering fixture and Kenny was quick to point out how far his side have come in showcasing the points gap that separated these sides earlier in this campaign.


“It is amazing to think there has been an 18-point swing between ourselves and Sligo given that they were 12 ahead of us and now we are six clear of them and people were labelling them ‘invincibles’ at that stage but next week is such a big game for us and if we win it will put us in a great position.”