Johnny Kenny class keeps Shamrock Rovers' 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