League of Ireland Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers 1 Dundalk 0
Johnny Kenny maintained his hot goalscoring streak to get Shamrock Rovers back to winning ways at Tallaght Stadium.
The champions’ first home match in 40 days brought a welcome victory, only their third in 10 games, ahead of their Champions League qualifier first leg away to Vikingur Reykjavik in Iceland next Tuesday.
It also revived Hoops’ tenuous title retention aspirations on a night when leaders Shelbourne and Derry City dropped points.
At the opposite end of the table, Dundalk’s defeat means they are now just two points ahead of bottom side Drogheda United ahead of the Louth derby at Oriel Park next week.
In the build-up, Rovers’ manager Stephen Bradley insisted that they are all must-win games now for his side as they play catch up in the title race.
Bradley made four changes to his starting line-up from their defeat in Sligo last week, among them playmakers Aaron McEneff and Jack Byrne, who started together for the first time this season.
And it was McEneff who was just off target with the first opening of the night on five minutes, bouncing a header wide after Byrne and Dylan Watts linked for Darragh Nugent to deliver the cross.
Dundalk, with debuts for new signings defender Bobby Faulkner and winger Jad Hakiki, got their first sight of goal on 22 minutes when spurning a real chance to punish sloppy defending.
A heavy pass from Hoops’ captain Roberto Lopes saw Sean Hoare lose the ball to Hakiki. Lopes retrieved the situation to block Eoin Kenny’s shot.
Rovers overcame a little edginess to their play to finally come alive, taking the lead with a fine goal on 29 minutes.
Kenny was initially thwarted by Sean Keogh from Trevor Clarke’s cross.
It proved a mere let-off for the visitors. From goalkeeper Ross Munro’s throw out, Hoare nicked the ball off a sluggish Hakiki.
Nugent fed Watts who arced the ball into the box for the run of Kenny.
The in-form striker took a touch before spinning and shooting to the far corner of the net for his fourth goal in six games and 10th of the season.
The Celtic loanee might have added to that within a further three minutes. Another sublime through ball from the impressive Watts sent Kenny clean through on goal. Munro held his ground to make a telling save with his feet.
Rovers maintained the upper hand into the second half, if it was an hour before they troubled Munro again.
Watts and a surging run from Nugent worked the ball through for Kenny whose rushed shot was comfortable for the Dundalk goalkeeper.
Space opened up for Nugent to then let fly from distance and watch as Munro pushed the shot somewhat clumsily round a post.
Rovers finished the game nervously, however, coughing up three real chances in the last 10 minutes.
A loose pass from Richie Towell gifted the ball to Cameron Elliott who spun Watts to work Leon Pohls for the first time on the night.
A minute later Ryan O’Kane should have done better than slice wide.
Pohls then produced the save of the game on 88 minutes, turning Elliott’s diving head round a post from Keogh’s cross.
Despite drawing 1-1 at Drogheda United United and having defenders Paddy Barrett and Tyreke Wilson sent off, Shelbourne extended their lead at the top of the table to three points as second-place Derry City were beaten 2-1 at Sligo Rovers.
A goal from Ben McCormack, a former St Patrick’s Athletic player, gave Waterford a 1-0 win over the Dubliners at the RSC as Keith Long’s side maintained third place in the table.
Galway United came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Bohemians at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Hoare (Cleary, 57), Lopes, Honohan; Nugent, O’Neill (Burns, 72), Watts, McEneff (Poom, 57), Clarke; Byrne (Greene, 64); Kenny (Towell, 72).
Dundalk: Munro; Davies, Johnson, Faulkner, Keogh; Mountney (Garbett, 81), Doyle; Horgan, Benson (McGill, 66), Hakiki (O’Kane, 66); Kenny (Elliott, 57).
Referee: Marc Lynch (Galway).
Attendance: 5,317.
Other results:
Drogheda United 1 Shelbourne 1
Waterford 1 St Patrick’s Athletic 0
Sligo Rovers 2 Derry City 1
Galway United 1 Bohemians 1
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