DUNDALK breathed life into the Premier Division title race last night when the brilliant Robbie Benson fired them to victory over table-toppers Shamrock Rovers.
Benson’s 81st minute strike means the Lilywhites are just five points adrift from the Hoops - and with a game-in-hand.
Had the result gone the other way, Rovers would be 11 points clear at the top.
Forget about a title race, we would have been looking at a half-season-long coronation for the three-in-a-row seeking Hoops.
So for the Dundalk fans, who greeted Benson’s strike with a deafening roar, and for neutrals up and down the land, this result was badly needed, as it keeps things alive at the top of the Premier Division.
Rovers’ misery was compounded moments after the winning goal when skipper Ronan Finn, an ex-Lilywhite, was sent off for a second yellow card.
Even with four minutes of time added on at the end, they couldn’t force an equaliser.
It was a bad night all round for Rovers’ former Dundalk players, with Richie Towell frustrated throughout and Sean Hoare unable to prevent Benson from scoring.
There is no denying Dundalk were worthy winners last night, thanks to a much improved second-half display.
Their bright start to the game saw them make plenty of territorial gains, but they struggled to penetrate the Shamrock Rovers defence.
Dundalk dominated possession in the first-half, while Rovers continued to look dangerous on the break.
However, Rovers’ finishing let them down, while the final ball was a source of frustration for the hosts.
Both sides were missing their managers last night, with Dundalk’s Stephen O’Donnell suspended and Rovers’ Stephen Bradley absent because of a family matter.
Padge Cregg took centre-stage in the home dugout, with Glenn Cronin barking out the orders in the opposite technical area.
The visitors carved out most of the first-half chances, including a couple of overhead kicks inside two minutes.
Danny Mandroiu’s was a case of desperation rather than improvisation, after he failed to convert Rory Gaffney’s cross from eight yards.
He stabbed at the ball but only succeeded in sending it spinning up into the air. As it dropped, he attempted an acrobatic effort, but got his angles all wrong.
Towell was next on 15 minutes, but he too earned only the jeers of a Lilywhites faithful that once adored the midfielder.
Gaffney was involved again, teeing up Gary O’Neill on the edge of the area.
With no room to shoot, O’Neill instead jinked into the area and lifted the ball across to Towell, who couldn’t keep his overhead kick down.
Andy Boyle felt he was pushed by Gaffney as the pair battled for a long ball on 25 minutes, but referee Neil Doyle said no and the Hoops striker’s 20-yard drive fizzed wide.
Whatever was said at half-time by Dundalk’s assistant boss Cregg, it had the desired effect as the hosts looked a far more efficient attacking prospect after the break.
While Gaffney again troubled the Lilywhites defence in the opening moments, cutting inside onto his left foot before drilling a shot into the side-netting, Rovers were forced back.
Dundalk’s tempo was much sharper and a couple of dangerous corner deliveries yielded opportunities for Andy Boyle and Paul Doyle.
The first, from the right-hand-side, drifted all the way towards Boyle at the back post, but Hoops goalkeeper Alan Mannus was quick off his line to bravely smother the danger.
And the second was cleared to Doyle on the edge of the area, only for his effort to fly over the bar.
Doyle was off-target again after a quick Dundalk counter, while Towell fired high over the crossbar on 76 minutes, again to the delight of the home fans.
The winner came with nine minutes remaining when full-back Lewis Macari crossed from deep and Benson raced between the centre-halves to produce a sliding finish.
It was a brilliant cross and an equally exquisite finish by the midfielder in his second spell at Oriel Park.
Finn was shown his second yellow card two minutes later for a foul on Darragh Leahy.
There’s life yet in this title race - and next up for Rovers is a derby against Bohemians.
