The Commentary Box: Dundalk boss Ciaran Kilduff was a very happy man

Dundalk came away with another precious three points last Friday night at Belfield against UCD, as a single goal from Leo Gaxha on 63 minutes was enough to give them all three points and allow them to open up a seven-point lead at the top.

It's Bray Wanderers who hold the second place now as Cobh's challenge is in weakening mode right now. The pitch was in a dreadful state at the Belfield Bowl and ensured skilful football would go out the window.

It meant in many ways that Dundalk, not for the first time this season had to play ugly to get the three points. The students were also forced to adapt to the terrible conditions.

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They posed a serious danger to Dundalk throughout the ninety minutes. It was only when the referee blew for full time that Dundalk knew they could travel home with the points.

The game was played in front of an attendance of 651 people 500 of them were from Dundalk. This is a phenomenal support that the club garnered on an away night on the very edge of South County Dublin.

The totally dedicated Shed Side Army travelled in big numbers, even though their bus broke down on the M1 near Drogheda, they just missed about the opening 20 minutes.

Ciaran Kilduff made three changes to the team that beat Wexford FC so comprehensively the week before at Oriel. Mayowa returned to the team for the first time in weeks.

He has been missing since he picked up a hamstring injury in the Finn Harps game at Ballybofey six weeks ago. Conor O'Keefe has also been out for weeks. He returned to his normal full-back slot.

Keith Ward started in a forward role behind Dean Ebbe up front. Eoin Kenny, Harry Groome and Vinny Leonard were left on the bench. Goalkeeper Enda Minogue is expected back in about three weeks.

He remains out with a broken finger. The good news is that he has had the pins and screws used in surgery to repair the injury removed. It's hoped he is well on the way to recovery.

Dundalk lined out with Cherrie in goals with O'Keefe and Keogh at full-back. Mayowa and Sean McHale were the centre halves. Aodh Dervin and Parashiv were the centre midfielders with Daryl Horgan and Leo Gaxha out on the wings.

Keith Ward and Dean Ebbe played as the strikers with Ebbe an out-and-out striker. Eoin Kenny replaced Keith Ward on 59 minutes. Andy Parashiv replaced Harry Groome on 60 minutes.

Dean Ebbe was replaced by Gbemi Arubi on 72 minutes. Goal scorer Leo Gaxha was also subbed at this time for Centre half Vinny Leonard. Vinny who is just 16 is reported to be on the radar of several cross-channel clubs.

He must be 18 before he can start playing for a club in the UK. But look at Pats Mason Melia. He will start his career at Tottenham Hotspur in a year's time. Pat's got two and a half million for Mason.

I just hope that Dundalk have got some of their younger players on medium to long-term contracts. Vinny Leonard is not the only young player attracting attention.

Sean Keogh is another player who clubs abroad are taking note of along with Andy Parashiv, and 16-year-old TJ Molloy and Sean Spaight.

Dundalk could be in line for a financial bonanza if some of their young stars move to foreign clubs. But it's vital they are in contract.

Ronan Finn, a former Dundalk hero came on as a sub for UCD on 64 minutes. The man who also won so much with Shamrock Rovers was excellent. He was a thorn in the side of the Dundalk defence for the remaining 25 minutes of the game.

He was very unlucky not to score at least twice. But the Dundalk defence somehow survived. The first half was fairly even. Keith Ward, Andy Parrashiv and Sean Mchale came close as did Sean Keogh and Aodh Dervan.

Adam Verdun was a serious danger to the Dundalk defence the whole night. He was very unlucky not to score on at least two occasions. UCD were the more dominant side in the first 25 minutes.

Dundalk came more into the game after that and were the better side for the rest of the first half and the opening period of the second. The closest UCD came to scoring was in injury time in the second half.

Sean McHale was booked for giving away a needless free on the halfway line. There was a terrible mix-up in the penalty area as Mayowa and Sean Mchale failed to clear.

The free kick was headed back across the face of the Dundalk goal. A mad scramble followed as Dundalk were on the ropes. Ronan Finn had a shot blocked while Adam Verdon had a header that looked bound for the top right-hand corner of the net.

Somehow a Dundalk Mayowa rose high to head the ball away and prevent a certain goal. Peter Cherrie eventually got his hands on the ball to kill off the UCD pressure and that was it. Dundalk had won.

Dundalk's winner was a beautiful goal. Eoin Kenny was only on as a sub when he won a corner for Dundalk. The ball was cleared to my man of the match Aodh Dervin.

He laid the ball off very well for Harry Groome. He put in a fantastic cross which was headed down by Sean Keogh. Leo Gaxha fired an unstoppable shot to the net.

It was a magnificent goal from the Dundalk winger. Gaxha is so talented. He can score goals from anywhere. He scored twice against Wexford the previous week.

Now this golden goal in Belfield was worth its weight in any currency including the crypto. Peter Cherrie did well as usual. But I would worry that he often failed to catch crosses.

Instead, he would punch them clear. This did put the Dundalk defence under some pressure at times. He was still good and notched up yet another clean sheet.

Conor O'Keefe looked a little stale at fullback at times. But that was to be expected given the length of time he has been out injured. If there was a threat from UCD it often came from Conor's side of the pitch.

But Aodh Dervin at times, came back and played alongside him. This snuffed out the UCD threat. Sean Keogh was excellent at full-back. This young man's confidence continues to grow under the managership of Ciaran Kilduff.

Like last week, he managed to get in behind the UCD defence. He did it for the golden goal, heading the ball down for Leo Gaxha to score.

Sean McHale was top-class at centre half. The Pats man who is just 18 and is on loan for the season gets better every week. Mayowa while playing well at centre half looked a bit unsure when UCD crosses came in.

But he has been out for nearly seven weeks. His game will improve greatly as he returns to full fitness. The two Dundalk wingers were top-drawer.

Skipper Daryl Horgan looked a class above everybody else as he got down the wings at times. He had a number of efforts that were close.

But it was his leadership of the team that once again shone above the rest. Vice-captain Aodh Dervin was superb back in his usual place in the engine room at midfield he also ran the show all over the pitch.

He would help out players who needed help. The midfield was firing well enough in the engine room. His instructions and motivation of players was there for all to see.

Andy Paraschiv is only 18 and is also attracting attention from clubs abroad. Last Friday week, he was so good. This time against UCD he faded in and out of the game.

But make no mistake, he is a highly talented player. Dean Ebbe was quiet enough given his usually high standards.

But the quality and the state of the pitch would make it difficult for even the most highly skilled player to shine. Of the subs used Harry Groome was excellent. He made the key goal. He is top class.

The results left Wexford in second place. They beat Athlone Town 1-0. Cobh were beaten by three goals to one by Wexford. Finn Harps and Longford drew one apiece.

Treaty were the biggest winners of the night. They beat Kerry 3-0 while of course, Dundalk beat UCD 1-0 at Belfield. Cobh will come to Oriel Park under a cloud about the future of their owner's FC32 global holdings.

Cobh issued a statement last Friday saying that FC32 is separate to the club Cobh Ramblers FC.FC32 took control of Cobh Ramblers last October and brought them under a multi-club umbrella.

Despite the Cobh statement on the matter their future remains under a cloud. They signed some top-class players pre-season and were seen as Dundalk's closest rivals for the automatic promotion spot.

But the club has dropped points in it's its last two games The sooner the issue is resolved the better. I would most definitely not rule out a Ramblers resurgence.

They may well might be able to stabilise their problems. If they can sort them out off the field. No doubt they will battle Dundalk and others for the automatic spot.

Wexford lost 3 points in midweek. They allegedly fielded an ineligible player in their game against UCD at the start of the season.

There was a crazy scenario of UCD going into Friday's game in third place getting the points awarded from the Wexford game. But on the field, they had only won a single league game all season.

Wexford played Darragh Dunne against UCD who was ineligible on the opening night of the season. Meanwhile, it's emerged that Kerry have also had three points deducted for playing an ineligible player against Finn Harps. On the same night, Harps played an ineligible player against Kerry.

Dundalk boss Kieran Kilduff was a very happy man after the game with Dundalk getting the points. ''UCD is always a very difficult place to come to.

To get all three points under huge pressure from the home team is a great achievement. We have opened up a seven-point lead at the top.

But at this stage of the league really it means nothing. I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties that Cobh might be enduring. I really hope that they get that situation sorted. I wish them the best.

It was great to have Mayowa and Conor O'Keeffe back in the team tonight. They will get much-needed fitness built up after tonight's game. We had a real battle out there tonight.

Aodh Dervin was magnificent again. He was back in his usual slot of centre midfield. But in truth Aodh was playing all over the pitch, covering everywhere''.

''Our supporters were magnificent tonight. It was they who got us over the line. Having 500 of the 650 in attendance supporting us was a huge shot in the arm for us.

I am well aware what it means to the people of the town seeing us get a win. It's really great to get that victory. Enda Minogue should be getting the screw and the pins out of his broken finger soon.

Then it's a matter for us to wait and see. But I would be hopeful he will be back training and ready for the first team in about three weeks' time.''

The manager paid tribute to the Shedside Army for getting to the game on hearing their bus broke down close to Drogheda'', It shows great determination to get here.

And when they arrived they gave us an even bigger sense of inspiration to go on and win the game. I do not know if the supporters really realise how much of a role they play in getting us over the line.

It was tough out there tonight. But as I said, the backing we got from the crowd was a major help that got us there when we needed them''.

''This was a vital three points. Make no mistake about that. But it's now history. We must now concentrate on our next team. That is Cobh. I did not think we would have opened up a small points gap on them at this stage.

But that does not matter. We need to win every game to get us our stated aim of promotion. Everyone of our team panel has put in a massive amount of work to help us get to our stated aim.

I know how much the club means to the people of Dundalk. I know how much it means to me. I was in the town centre last week. The reaction I got from the people of the town was so positive.

It's a real boost to both me and the team to know how much we mean to them and them to us. There is a long way to go as I keep saying. We must never look beyond the next game''.

Leo Gaxha was thrilled to have been part of a team that got three very precious points. ''I was very happy the way I got the chance to put away the goal.

Aodh Dervin made the initial pass after we had got a second corner in a row. Harry Groome who was only minutes on as a sub got a great lob at the ball back into the UCD box.

I was just lucky enough to be on the end of the ball. I just smashed the ball into the net. It was a very important goal. It was the key that opened up the door for us to getting the three points.

We can go home tonight happy in the knowledge that we are still top. But there is still such a long way to go. It was a team effort out there tonight. The pitch was in a very poor condition.

I would even wonder whether it was in a safe enough condition to even have a game played on it. But anyway it is what it is. We got the points and that was the most important point.''

''I am really enjoying my football at Oriel. There is a great team spirit among the squad and the management team. And that will be with us for the rest of the season.

Getting three goals in the last two games is of course important for me personally. But what it really means to me is that it has contributed something to us all, players and the fans in our long hard battle in our promotion battle.

Tonight is now history. We must now move on to the game with Cobh Ramblers. That will be another tough game. We must work hard this week in training to ensure that we are ready for them.

My time at Dundalk is going really well for me. As a group, we are getting on really well together. The goals may be going in for me at the moment. But what's most important is that they are going in for the team, the supporters and the club.''

Leo seemed a bit subdued given the goal he had got had been so important. But he revealed that he had a migraine. It was not helped by the fact that he got a knock during the game.

This is the youngest ever squad I have ever seen at Oriel. They are a very talented group. I just hope that they can continue the momentum to get Dundalk over  the line at the end of the season.''

The Belfield Bowl was not in good condition at all last Friday. It's not helped by the fact that there are regular rugby games on the pitch as well.

To be fair to UCD, work on improving the pitch began at seven am the day after the game with Dundalk. UCD will play their next four games away from home.

The rugby season is all but over. What's important is that no sport will be played on it for at least the next 6 weeks. It will be as good as it was. It is usually in prime condition.

Thankfully there were no injuries picked up by either team. In my humble opinion, I would question if the pitch was safe enough for the players to play on last Friday. But the referee was happy enough to let the game go ahead. That was good enough for me.

It seems more and more certain that the club will be installing a new set of floodlights next season. They will also be putting down a fully modern up to date astro turf pitch.

This will make a big difference to Oriel. A new disability area is also to be installed. This will include the correct toilets needed for a disabled person.

The disability area will as far as I know be located to the right of the shed on the YDC side of the ground. A huge amount of work is ongoing on the planning for the new disabled area and facilities needed. They will bring the club into the 21st century.

News that the club will be drawing down the Sports Capital programme funding for the Astro Turf pitch and the new lights is massive.

The club have not officially confirmed they will be able to draw down the grant. It's my understanding these new developments at Oriel will be going ahead for next season.

Meanwhile, the death occurred last weekend of Leo O'Reilly, a former player of the famous Dundalk team that won the league title in 1962-53 and also who became the first Irish team to beat a team in a European Competition.

It was the team the late great Jimmy Hasty was part of. Leo was the man of the match of that great team that beat FC Zurich in Switzerland. He joined Dundalk at the start of the 1962-63 season.

He started off in a strikers role and had scored 3 goals in the opening games of that season when Jimmy Hasty arrived at Oriel. Leo then became a midfielder, a defender, indeed Leo could play all over the park.

From 1962 to the end of his third season 1965-66 Leo made a total of 140 appearances and scored 22 goals over that three-season period.

Leo saw the club go through a very turbulent period when it went into voluntary liquidation in his last season at Oriel. The club became a public limited company and brought together a group of business people who modernised the club.

It signified the end of the club being run by a committee. The club also appointed its first modern-style manager in Gerry Doyle.
Leo saw a lot of change in the structure as to how the club was run. The new directors at the club set up plans for a new stadium at Oriel. They delivered. Dundalk became the first club outside Dublin to have floodlights.''

John Murphy played with Leo. He  said he was deeply saddened at the news of Leo's passing. ''Leo won a league title with Shamrock Rovers and helped Limerick win their first title before arriving at Oriel in 1962.

He was a very quiet, humble and versatile player. You name it, he could play anywhere. He was that good, he could even play in goals.

His claim to fame was when Timmy Lyons was injured in a Sunday game, we were heading to Zurich for the European game on the Wednesday. Leo filled in for Timmy at centre half, in that European Cup game. He was the star of the show.

He was man of the match. Leo could play anywhere as I said during his career at Oriel, he even managed to score two hat tricks. When he was centre half in Zurich, you would think that he had played there all of his life, he was that good''.

''Leo was six foot one or two. He had a big mop of red hair. You would be able to pick him out anywhere. He had a great engine in him. He just never stopped.

He was also one of those players that you would call a real club man. Every game he went out, he gave his all. That would not matter whatever position he played in.

The Dublin players always had plenty to say. But Leo was so humble, you had to pull the words out of him. When Leo got into the Dundalk team, you could not believe how good he was.

At one stage the team were not doing well. This was Leo's third season at Oriel I think. The manager Gerry Doyle had left Leo out of the side. A very angry crowd had gathered outside to talk to Gerry.

Mickey Fox fearing for the manager's personal safety decided the best way to get him out of Oriel was to put him in the basket with the playing gear.

Two people managed to carry the basket with Gerry in it through the crowd to safety and he was able to get away. It was a bizarre incident''.

''The two men carrying the basket got him into a car. Thank God he got away unscathed. The crowd were so angry that Leo was left out of the side. He was badly missed that day.

It was the last we saw of Gerry Doyle. He was sacked after that. And it was over leaving Leo out of the team. Gerry had good success with Dublin clubs, but not at Oriel.

Leo was such a humble man. I often got the feeling that he was so quiet that he felt overawed by some of the Dublin players. And Leo had no reason to feel overawed by anybody. He was a gentleman to his toes''.

''I had no hesitation in naming Leo man of the match in Zurich. He was doing the whole club a favour. He had never played as a centre-half before. Joey Donnolly was the manager then.

I have no idea where Joey came up with the idea of playing Leo at centre half came from, but it worked. It really was an historic situation seeing Leo play at centre half in Zurich for the first time.

But anyway it is sad that Leo is no longer with us anymore and has gone from this world. I will tell you one thing. Leo has gone with a brilliant reputation from the people of Dundalk.

Next up on Friday, Dundalk are at home to Cobh. It has all the makings of being a great game. Have a great week. Enjoy the good weather while we have it. Look after each other. And please remember to be careful out there.