Kenny wants to smash points record
SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE
DUNDALK manager Stephen Kenny will get his hands on his fourth league title with the club on Friday night and wants to mark the occasion with a new points record.
Kenny takes charge of his 200th league match in charge of the Lilywhites against Sligo Rovers on Friday (kick-off 7.45pm), meaning he is now averaging a league title very 50 games played.
That’s an average he will look to lessen next season but for now there’s a different record in sights. A win over the Bit O Red will take Dundalk to 86 points for the season, which would be one more than the record of 85 achieved by the Bohemians side of 2008.
The manager feels beating that record would add to what should be a night of celebration at Oriel Park as the trophy is presented after the game.
‘This week we can break the points record if we win at home so it’s an incentive for every Dundalk fan to get up to Oriel Park to see the players lift the trophy but also to know that if we win it’s the highest points total of all time, which would be incredible.
‘That’s the objective now to try and get the win. It has been such a season. When you think of all the great teams in the past, to get more points than anyone ever before would be amazing.’
Dundalk broke another record last weekend in their 2-1 win away to Waterford FC with Ronan Murray’s second goal being their 79th in the league this season – a number which surpasses the record of 78 which Kenny’s side achieved in 2015.
‘It’s great. We want to score a few more,’ he said.
‘It will be great for the players to lift the trophy on Friday. They deserve it because they’ve been a credit and really good all year.’
On the win in Waterford, Kenny said: ‘I thought it was an excellent performance. It was a tough game against a good Waterford team but we created some good chances in the first half.
‘The players showed a real desire, a real high level of professionalism and we could have been two or three up at halftime. We got the goals early in the second half and could have got another one or two. All right, we conceded a late goal but overall I’m delighted overall with the performance.
‘Patrick McEleney was the outstanding player on the park. He was just a joy to
This week we can break the points record if we win at home so it’s an incentive for every Dundalk fan to get up to Oriel Park to see the players lift the trophy but also to know that if we win it’s the highest points total of all time, which would be incredible.
watch, an absolute joy. It was an exhibition really from him. We got two good goals and we’ll take the win.’
Dundalk will welcome Chris Shields and Daniel Cleary back from suspension for Friday’s game while Jamie McGrath will also return having missed the trip to Waterford due to his involvement with the Republic of Ireland U-21 squad. Robbie Benson will sit the game out with the knee injury sustained against St Patrick’s Athletic but his manager is hopeful of having the midfielder back for the FAI Cup final against Cork City on November 4th.
‘He has a fighting chance for the final. It looked bad initially but we’ll give him every chance,’ said Kenny.
Meanwhile, club captain Stephen O’Donnell was expected to feature in a friendly match last night (Monday) against Newry City in The Showgrounds.