Dylan repays Kenny’s faith with crucial Euro strike

DYLAN Connolly praised his manager following his coming of age display against Levadia Tallinn in the Kadriorg Stadium on Thursday.

Stephen Kenny was forced to come out and defend the winger just three and a half months ago after he had been targeted by sections of the club’s fans for criticism.

Since then the 23-year-old’s displays have improved immensely. That culminated with a first European goal to sink the Estonians in Thursday’s first leg before departing late on to a standing ovation after a superb all round display.

Speaking to The Argus afterwards Connolly put his improved performances down to his manager’s influence.

‘The gaffer has been great with me,’ he said.

‘He always gives me confidence in training. I’ve been working hard every day and doing extra in training but you can’t rest your laurels you just have to keep going every day like the best professionals do.

‘That’s what I came here to do, to train hard every day so I can get the best out of myself and I’m in the right place to do that here, especially with the manager and Vinny giving me so much confidence. It’s the best place in the country to be at the minute so I can’t complain.’

Connolly had a smile from ear to ear after grabbing the only goal of the game in the 53rd minute.

‘Obviously the big European nights are the reason I came here. It was a tough game but it was good to get the goal and I’m buzzing now.

‘I only came in just before Europe last year and I was injured so I wasn’t fit enough for the European stage but I’ve been working my socks off for the last three or four months so I was raring to go for tonight.’

The former Bray Wanderers man also paid tribute to Michael Duffy for setting him up for his goal.

‘He’s having an outstanding season. I think that’s 18 assists he has this year.

‘I knew when he was getting into that position where he was going to put it. The gaffer said to me at half-time make sure you get yourself in at the back stick for Michael’s crosses and it paid off. I’ll take them tap-ins all day.

‘I had a chance to make it two but I had too much time maybe. I usually put them away. I usually go to my right side but I should have played it on the ground low but I can’t go back on it now.’

Connolly said he was impressed by Levadia but was nevertheless confident of finishing the job he started by seeing them off in Thursday’s return leg in Oriel Park.

‘Obviously coming away to another country they’re going to be on top of you a bit but I felt I adapted personally pretty quickly to it and I felt good throughout the game. I felt we all worked our socks off and defended well.

‘People think coming to these places that it’s easier than it is but it’s a lot harder than what people think.

‘We’d be confident of finishing the job in Oriel. It’s only half-time but obviously next week we’ll hopefully have 4,500 people pushing us on and that will be a big advantage for us compared to what they had tonight,’ said the winger.