Kenny facing a familiar foe but after last year’s defeat he says there’s no pressure

HAVING lost their league crown, Stephen Kenny insists Dundalk are not under any extra pressure to collect more silverware tomorrow.

It’s natural that expectations rose in Dundalk on the back of a remarkable title treble and, last season, an historic Europa League run.

But the spell was broken this time 12 months ago when the Lilywhites’ main challengers claimed the FAI Cup against their bitter rivals.

And Cork City used that success as a springboard to break the spell Kenny’s side held over the rest of the league this term.

Dundalk did capture the EA Sports Cup in September and, as far as their manager is concerned, the FAI

Cup isn’t a must-win for his side to satisfy their supporters.

“It’s not really like that, there is a lot of goodwill towards us,” stressed Kenny. “I haven’t felt that, you know.

“People feel that this has been an extraordinary period.

There’s a whole new generation of support and I don’t feel that cynicism about it.

“People feel this is a wonderful journey - a provincial town to empty out, trains, buses en masse going up, that great feeling and camaraderie between supporters going into the stadium.

“It’s a great place to go for a provincial town. I don’t get that, ‘You must win it to save face’ - I just think there is a lot of goodwill towards the team and they’re hoping that we’re victorious. It’s a different build-up to last year. We were coming in from St Petersburg on the Friday so we sort of missed that a little bit.

“There’s a great, real goodwill towards the players. The supporters understand there has been changes and we’ve lost some good players.

“But they’ve seen really positive signs in the second half of the season with the performances - and winning the League Cup final in Tallaght.

“You don’t usually win a final 3-0 and to win it like that, then to go to the Aviva against your main rivals over the last few years – obviously they’ve had a great season, they’ve won the league...we’ve got to try and win the Cup.”

This is Dundalk’s third final appearance in a row and Kenny’s sixth in total, having guided Longford Town, Bohemians and Derry City there previously. In Scotland, he led Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup final. He’s looking for his third victory in a Blue Riband event. “It’s a great honour,” the 45-yearold said. “I don’t take it for granted.

“I really do approach it that way, it could be your last year, it might never happen again.

“I never think, ‘Oh, I’ll be back here next year, or the year after’. You just don’t know what way your career will go. “It’s more special going to the Aviva. It’s a great privilege and when you win it there, it really is something special.”