Shamrock Rovers 1

Dundalk 1

Ryan Bailey reports from Tallaght Stadium

COMETH THE HOUR, cometh the man.

Richie Towell’s late penalty – his 22nd league goal – in Tallaght sealed a second successive league title for Stephen Kenny’s Dundalk.

It was far from a vintage performance by the Lilywhites but they eventually found the breakthrough in the closing stages to seal the club’s 11th League of Ireland crown with three games to spare.

It was fitting that it was Towell – the fulcrum of the side – who had the final say as he emphatically dispatched the spot-kick after Pat Cregg had needlessly hauled down Darren Meenan.

In the end, a draw was enough for Dundalk to get over the line but for large parts they didn’t look like getting there.

Danny North’s strike 19 seconds into the second-half put the Lilywhites on the book-foot but when the question was asked of them, they responded.

Towell’s penalty sparked jubilant scenes among the 800 visiting fans and although they were forced to wait for confirmation of Cork City’s draw in Drogheda, it only added to the sense of occasion.

It was a result which consolidated their position as the country’s dominant force.

Although they rarely showed it throughout a match devoid of any real pattern or intensity. Perhaps the weight of expectation played its part but when the business end of the season arrives, it doesn’t matter how you do it.

Stephen Kenny is hoisted aloft by his players. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

The players hoisted their manager aloft on the pitch afterwards and his role in the club’s revival cannot be understated. Just three short years ago, the County Louth outfit were dangling perilously close to the edge but the arrival of Kenny changed their fortunes.

Perhaps the most telling moment of the evening came when, long after the ground had emptied, Pat Fenlon, the Shamrock Rovers manager, came out to congratulate his counterpart.

On a personal level, it was a sweet moment for Kenny at a ground where he experienced his darkest days in management.

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There’s no doubt Dundalk have established themselves as the leading force of Irish football under his tutelage and this success is now further evidence of that – and they still have the FAI Cup final to look forward to next month.

But in truth, Dundalk were second best for much of the evening and it appeared the party would had to be postponed for another week at least.

It was a lacklustre opening period but Rovers did much of the pressing. Drennan’s half-volley flashed over Gary Rogers’ bar and then the striker was unable to keep his header on target.

Danny North's goal gave Rovers the lead but they were unable to hold on. Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

Dundalk began to settle as the half wore on but rarely threatened Barry Murphy’s goal. Ronan Finn, on his return to Tallaght, was denied by a last-ditch tackle by Maxime Blanchard and that was as good as it got for the title chasers.

And they were vulnerable at the other end too. Without the services of Brian Gartland and Sean Gannon in defence, Dundalk were cut apart all too easily 19 seconds after the interval.

Drennan found a pocket of space in midfield and his perfectly weighted ball caught Chris Shields on the wrong side of Brandon Miele. His initial effort was blocked but it squirted across to the unmarked North.

The response was slow in coming but like all good sides, Dundalk found a way when they were far from their best.

Finn was central to it as his influence grew while the introduction of former Hoop Ciaran Kilduff gave Dundalk a different threat in the final third.

With the clock ticking down, Meenan forced Cregg into the mistake and when Towell put the ball on the spot, there was little doubt what the result was going to be.

At that stage you wouldn’t have betted against a Dundalk winner but a point was more than enough on another indelible night for a club who were on their knees not so long ago.

Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Simon Madden, Maxime Blanchard, David Webster, David O’Connor; Gavin Brennan Pat Cregg, Gary McCabe, Brandon Miele; Michael Drennan, Danny North.

Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Chris Shields, Paddy Barrett, Andy Boyle; Dane Massey; Darren Meenan, Richie Towell, Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan Finn (Kurtis Byrne 82′), Daryl Horgan (John Mountney ’60); David McMillan (Ciaran Kilduff 64′).

Referee: Padraig Sutton