Kenny is driving his men to more success
As Dundalk bid for their fourth final in a row, stars claim boss Kenny is...
IRISH DAILY MAIL FAI CUP SEMI-FINAL PREVIEWS
THE Spirit Store on Dundalk’s George’s Quay is where Stephen Kenny will often seek solace away from Oriel Park.
Live music is one of his great passions and last Tuesday night, while he was unable to see one of his favourite bands, the Arctic Monkeys, perform in Dublin, he had the small consolation of effectively winning the Premier Division for the fourth time in five seasons.
As Kenny revealed on these pages not so long ago, the Sheffield four-piece are often the last thing he listens to on the way to a home game.
‘I wouldn’t go straight in with a heavy edge because I’d need to gradually get there. Something mellow for the first few songs and when I’m going out the door I’ll want the heavier guitar stuff to get into the chaos of it. I like the chaos of it. That gets me in the frame of mind to evoke passion,’ he explained.
That was just over a year ago but, as stalwarts Gary Rogers and Brian Gartland explained ahead of tonight’s Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup semi-final with UCD, nothing changes with Kenny. ‘He is still the same as ever,’ the latter says. ‘He didn’t become something different or ask us to be something we’re not just because of what happened last season.’
Losing the league title to Cork City and being beaten by the Leesiders on penalties in the Cup final stung, but it was not the catalyst for a panicked revolution.
‘The gaffer is the gaffer,’ Gartland continues. ‘Nothing changes with his approach, in terms of attitude and confidence we felt that we were strong going into this season and he is the driving force. He is just so relentless for success, he demands everything from you and he is such a good man-manager that he gets it.’ Goalkeeper Rogers had a slightly longer period of introspection over the winter — the penalty shoot- out defeat at Aviva Stadium a sickening culmination to a domestic campaign which saw Cork open up an unassailable lead at the top by the mid-term break and never look back, despite their form tapering off once Sean Maguire departed for Preston North End.
‘I’ll be honest, I definitely thought about the Cup final a lot and how things went,’ the Meath native reveals. ‘I spoke about it with my wife, what was to come with pre-season and everything that comes with it, but after two weeks off I was itching to get back. I knew I still had that desire. It doesn’t just leave you.’
At 37, and after clocking up his 500th league appearance earlier this season, Rogers’ appetite has not yet been satisfied.
‘I was so determined to have a good year this year. Personally, I wanted to do everything possible to help the team be successful again and get back to where we want to be.’
Mission accomplished on that front, Dundalk conceded just 15 goals all year and Rogers has maintained the sort of consistency which suggests he is well capable of overtaking Al Finucane’s record of 634 League of Ireland appearances.
His body has stood up to the test, while for the man who has been so imperious in front of him — especially over the last few months — Gartland felt like his was giving way at the start of campaign. The centre back’s nightmare began with a slight thigh strain a few days before the President’s Cup in February when they played a friendly with Brentford.
Just as he felt that was clearing up he was struck by flu — along with several teammates — and had to stay away from the club for a week. An injection on that troublesome thigh ruled him out for a further period of time before a Quincy abscess on his throat had to be operated on – but only after he’d been sent home from A&E. Eventually, after suffering an infection, he had to have his throat cut open and drained.
‘It was disaster. You have to bide your time and wait for an opportunity,’ Gartland reasons.
So he did, and 31-year-old has come to the fore over these last few months. His display in the 1-0 win away to deposed champions
Cork was a particularly commanding performance.
UCD, the champions of the First Division, are the visitors to Louth this evening with the expectation that their journey has reached its final destination.
Dundalk have been at the last four stage in each of the last three seasons and triumphed (a potential fourth successive final with Cork is on the cards – an indication of their dominance in Irish football over recent times) so that experience should prove crucial.
‘We want to keep competing to win trophies and be as successful as possible,’ Rogers adds.
Nothing changes under Stephen Kenny.