Kenny class keeps Hoops’ faint title hopes alive

Johnny Kenny found the pot of gold under the rainbow for Shamrock Rovers as they edged Dundalk to keep their faint hopes of a fifth successive SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division title alive.

A superb pass from Dylan Watts found Kenny who swept home his tenth of the season in the 29th minute.

However, the Hoops were unable to put their relegation-threatened visitors away and were hanging on at the end. Dundalk rallied late in the game but had no luck with a flurry of missed chances.

A depleted crowd was a sign of the times for a fixture which no longer pits two heavyweights against each other. Rovers’ drive for five is fading while Dundalk are in a relegation scrap after a torrid season to date.

Aaron McEneff had the first opportunity of the game arriving late to head Darragh Nugent’s cross wide in the sixth minute.

On a night where both sides were spearheaded by Kenny’s it was Johnny who struck first.

Kenny went from zero to hero in a matter of seconds. Having passed up two bites at the cherry from close range after a Trevor Clarke cross, he gathered himself and was alive for an exquisite curled pass around the back of the Dundalk defence from Watts which he finished beautifully to the far corner.

The Hoops took control from there and Dundalk were indebted to their goalkeeper Ross Munro for giving them a fighting chance at the interval.

The keeper stood tall to deny Rovers another Watts and Kenny combo but the striker should have rippled the net again.

Jack Byrne worryingly went down by the sideline for the hosts but he was soon back in full flow, combining with Watts before weaving through the Dundalk midfield and curling an effort which Munro got down to his left to hold.

A nasty shower drenched the already soft Tallaght surface and that rather matched the Dundalk performance who offered nothing going forward after the break, often choosing to pass backwards and putting themselves under pressure.

Stephen Bradley’s side pushed for the game sealing second with the diminutive Kenny a constant menace to a sluggish Dundalk defence.

The hosts rang the changes, strangely withdrawing Kenny and they could have been punished for a slack moment at the back had Dundalk had more belief in their approach.

Nugent and Clarke went close for Rovers but they were unable to put Dundalk away.

Jon Daly’s men could argue they remained in the game and they showed a greater sense of adventure as the game entered the last five minutes.

Shamrock Rovers appeared disjointed by their substitutes while Dundalk gained a spark from theirs and the hosts were hanging on.

Former Lilywhite Richie Towell presented the ball for Cameron Elliott who shot straight at Leon Pohls before substitute Ryan O’Kane spurned the chance the visitors had craved.

Renewed belief in a five-in-a-row charge turned to nervous tension and Pohls was fortunate to see Elliott’s header squirm off his body and wide.

Shamrock Rovers: Leon-Maurice Pohls; Trevor Clarke, Seán Hoare (Daniel Cleary 58), Joshua Honohan, Pico; Jack Byrne (Aaron Greene 63), Aaron McEneff (Markus Poom 58), Darragh Nugent, Gary O’Neill (Darragh Burns 71), Dylan Watts; Johnny Kenny (Richard Towell 71).

Dundalk: Ross Munro; Archie Davies, Bobby Faulkner, Zak Johnson; Robert Benson, Paul Doyle, Jad Hakiki (Scott McGill 65), Sean Keogh, John Mountney (Norman Garbett 81); Daryl Horgan, Eoin Kenny (Cameron Elliott 57).