The Commentary Box: Kenny was head and shoulders above everybody

Kenny also created the opening for Dundalk's opening goal in the first half. That goal was scored by Danny Mullen. Like the game against Galway seven days before, Dundalk put in a terrific performance and thoroughly deserved their win.

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Indeed, it was the Oriel Park side's first win at Dalymount since 2022. Dundalk went into the game with a rich vein of good form behind them. Hopes that Mayowa and Gbemi Arubi would return from injury proved false.

Mayowa is still out with a hamstring injury. Gbemi is also still carrying an injury from the time when he was away with the Republic of Ireland. He was on the bench and did have to play when Danny Mullen was injured in the second half.

It was plain for all to see that Gbemi was still injured. But he still played a major role in Dundalk grinding out the win when he came on. Tyreke Wilson was a hero in Galway. He was unable to start due to an injury.

However, just like Gbemi, he answered the call and was a real hero.Dundalk also had to finish the last 15 minutes of the game with 10 men after Declan McDaid was sent off for a second bookable offence. It was a harsh decision by referee Paul McLoughlin.

He had a reasonable game, very similar to Kevin O'Sullivan in Galway a week earlier. Bohemians were one of only two teams that Dundalk had not beaten this season. That ended in Dalymount on Friday.

Drogheda United remain the only side Dundalk have yet to beat. Ciaran Kilduff made two changes to the team that won in Galway. Declan McDaid was on the bench, as was Tyreke Wilson. Keith Buckley and Shane Tracey replaced both of these players.

Pat Dolan wrote a fantastic column on Ciaran Kilduff in the Star Newspaper on Friday. He ended it by saying that if Dundalk beat Bohs, then they will be in a title race with Shamrock Rovers and Pats.

He said that this was because Dundalk have a Killer at the helm. Dolan was referring to Ciaran Kilduff by his nickname. Pat Dolan says that Kilduff was a very good player, but that he is an even better manager. I agree with that.

Dundalk have a manager that many of the league clubs would like to have.Dundalk were under the cosh for the first 15 minutes of the game and went a goal down. After that, they swept Bohemians aside and went on to win the game.

Enda Minogue was in goals. He was a safe pair of hands and did well. He is still not dealing with the set pieces as well as he could be. Keith Buckley and Shane Tracey both did well in their wing-back positions after the concession of the early goal.

The three centre-backs, JR Wilson, Bobby Burnes and Rob Cornwall, were once again top class. Bobby Burnes was magnificent. He created the second goal for Eoin Kenny. It was a terrific move. Daryl Horgan had another excellent game.

He drove his troops forward in his role as motivator and leader as well as captain. Ronan Teahan was also excellent. His runs through the middle caused the Bohemians' defence no end of trouble.

Aodh Dervin had the sheer physicality and skill that was needed in midfield. It inspired the rest of the team. Eoin Kenny was head and shoulders above everybody else in this game. He stunned the Bohemians with his roving attacks.

They could just not cope with him. It was a repeat of the performance in Galway a week earlier. Danny Mullen really hit form on Friday. He scored the first goal. He hit the post as well. He linked up so well with the rest of the Dundalk team.

But he was injured with 20 minutes remaining. Hopefully, it's not too serious and that he will soon be back in the Dundalk 11.

.As far as ratings for the Dundalk players, they are all good. Enda Minogue 7. Keith Buckley 7. replaced by Declan McDaid 73. Not on pitch long enough as he was sent off before the end. Bobby Burns 8. JR Wilson 7. Shane Tracey 7 replaced by Tyerke Wilson 7.

Aodh Dervin 8. Eoin Kenny 10. Ronan Teehan 8. Daryl Horgan 9 replaced by Harry Groome, not on the pitch long enough. Mullen 9 replaced by Arubi on 71 minutes 6.

Bohemians are a team that has possibly the most talented squad in the country. They are underachieving big time. I thought at the start of the season that they would be right up there with Shamrock Rovers. And I have thought that in other seasons as well.

Alan Reynolds and Stephen O'Donnell are just not delivering the way they should be given the massive budget and the very talented squad they have. Bohs went into the game on the back of a very poor result against Derry City.

They were expected to bounce back against Dundalk. But as in most weeks, it was Dundalk who came away with the win. But it just did not turn out that way as Dundalk left Phibsboro for the first time since 2022 with three points.

Bohemians started the game so well. They led on 5 minutes when a Dayle Rooney's corner on the right was headed home by the unmarked Cian Byrne from well inside the box.

The Dundalk defence were just nowhere. Byrne had the simplest of tasks: to head to the centre of the net. Once again, Dundalk were conceding goals by set pieces. It has been the same old story all season when conceding goals.

Harry Vaughan had just had a shot come back off the Dundalk post. Dundalk looked to be on the ropes. Bos were ripping the Oriel Park apart in those early stages.

When their fifth-minute goal went in, fears of an Inchicore massacre came to mind when Pats beat Dundalk 4-0. But Dundalk fans need not have worried. This Dundalk team are very strong-willed and skilled.

The Kilduff machine suddenly settled, and it was all Dundalk for most of the rest of the game. The one thing that stands out in this Dundalk team is that they really enjoy a challenge.Well, that's what they were in when they went one down.

Eoin Kenny, along with Daryl Horgan, began to shine. Kenny was playing the same way as he had done in Galway. He took on the opposition and beat them with skill, tenacity and utter confidence.

The way he was able to do this once again reminded me of the same way Georgie Best did it in the 1960's and early 1970's. He created the equaliser for Dundalk by picking the ball up on the edge of his own box.

He skilfully got the ball past four Bohemians players. He chipped the ball towards the Bohs box. Bohs Patrick Hickey did hook the ball from the sky. But the loose ball came to Ronan Teahan. He squared the ball to Danny Mullen.

The former Derry City striker had little difficulty slotting the ball home.Dundalk were the better team in the second half. Eoin Kenny performed a drag back on the edge of the box to leave two Bohs defenders in no man's land.

He cooley fired a missile of a shot to the roof of the Bohs ' net. There was only fourteen minutes left in the game when Eoin Kenny provided the killer blow against Bohemians.

Danny Mullins goal came 22 minutes into the first half. Danny had hit the Bohs upright and crossbar during the game. There is something so special about this Dundalk team.

The courage, confidence and the ability to face a challenge in every game is the DNA of the Dundalk team. It is in Ciaran Kilduff. he has managed to instil it in all of his players.Dundalk should have had a penalty early in the game.

Replays showed Danny Mullen had clearly been held in the box. Referee Paul McLoughlin waved his appeals away. It was a poor decision.

The referee had a poor game in comparison to the man who reffed the Galway-Dundalk game the week before.Dundalk were superb when they were down to ten men. They never looked to be a man short.

The result saw Dundalk move into the European spots. They are well capable of holding onto that spot. But it will be a hard battle. Ciaran Kilduff is worth his weight in gold; he is such a good manager.

He is a leader, a motivator and an excellent communicator with his players. The atmosphere of happiness, humour and camaraderie between the players is there for all to see.

I was up doing interviews in Oriel with the Dundalk boss and Aodh Dervin as a preview for the Bohemians game. It was plain to all how good the feeling is in the dressing room now. The team believe they can make Europe.

Some even speak of a challenge for the league title.The manager will lose more players at the end of the season, who will get bigger offers than Dundalk can afford. But these same players may well decide to stay when they see what is happening at Oriel.

Dundalk can start to win trophies again, it may take another season. But they will do it. I have a big fear, though, that some of the big clubs will attempt to prise Kilduff away from Dundalk. Joey O'Brien is a manager who is under pressure at Shelbourne.

Shels are believed to be very interested in the Dundalk boss. Ciaran is a former Shelbourne player. He had great success as a player at Tolka. I can see Bohemians looking for a manager at Dalymount.

Sadly for Alan Reynolds and Stephen O'Donnell, it looks as if they are coming to the end of the road with the bosses at Dalymount. Only a good run in Europe and winning the FAI cup might save them.

And then there is the most successful club in the country, Shamrock Rovers. Manager Stephen Bradley has added to the success of the famous club. He may decide to call it a day at Tallaght.

I've heard on the grapevine that the Hoops are most certainly keeping an eye on the Dundalk manager. But they will only move for him should Bradley decide to walk away from Rovers. Only Stephen Bradley knows the answer to that.

Jim Mclaughlin decided in 1983 that he could do no more for Dundalk .His team had just missed out on Europe when they missed a penalty in Sligo.

But big Jim had done everything he could for Dundalk in the nine years he was at Oriel. He won three league titles and three FAI Cups. It was his teams that won Dundalk's first double. He had great

success in Europe. He missed out on a place in the European Cup quarter-final by just one goal. Dundalk were knocked out by Glasgow Celtic. They would have played Real Madrid in the quarter finals had they beaten Celtic.

Rovers signed up Jim as soon as they knew he was walking away from Dundalk. Jim McLaughlin won four league titles with Rovers and three FAI cups in the space of five years.

He went on to manage a whole series of clubs and won trophies wherever he went. In 1989, he did the treble with his beloved Derry City. No other club has achieved this feat.

Ánd what of young Eoin Kenny? He is only 20 years of age. I have no doubt that there is a strong interest in him from cross-channel clubs, as he is a marvellous prospect. He is an under-21 Northern Ireland international.

He has been playing underage with the Republic of Ireland. The FAI need to get out working and talking to Eoin to ensure that he becomes a Republic of Ireland player. But Eoin may have already decided that his future is with the north.

I could totally understand this. If the North's senior manager wants Eoin, he would need to get his skates on. He needs to play Eoin in a senior international game for the North. Then the Republic of Ireland will lose him.

If I were Eoin, I would opt for the North. There would be better opportunities to advance his career there. He has a top-class manager in Michael O'Neill. This is why I would opt for the North if I were him.

Pat Dolan's column on Dundalk on Friday was superb. The headline read Boom Town miracle man Kilduff has Dundalk right in the race for the title.

He says that last Christmas, Dundalk supporters would have been happy to see Santa Claus deliver Premier Division survival. Pat says by spring, it was clear that Dundalk would not be in a relegation battle.

He added that at mid-season, supporters were dreaming of a European place. He says that after Dundalk beat Galway, the fans are dreaming of a possible title challenge.

I don't think Dundalk will do that. But who knows?Pat Dolan has been a very successful manager with the Pats in the past. Their win over Dundalk in the league in 2002 sent them down to Division One.

Pats won a number of league titles with Pat. He knows how challenging for the league to involve so much. Pat Dolan points out that Ciaran Kulduff does not do things mediocrity.

That's why he has Dundalk where they are. He says the Town are back.And they are. Everywhere I was over the weekend, people were talking about Dundalk. One was a former Dublin Central TD, Joe Costello.

He says it is great to see Dundalk winning again. Bohs are a team in his former constituency. He has a strong interest in them. But Joe is a Sligo man by heart. He has a huge interest in Sligo Rovers.

Ciaran Kilduff says his aim at the start of the season was to try and win every game. It's working in one sense, as they have lost the least amount of games of any team in the Premier Division this season.

But I feel it's unlikely they will challenge Shamrock Rovers this season for the title.Danny Mullins sustained an ankle injury that forced him out of the game.

Sadly, his ankle was badly bruised. It looks like it's a bad injury that will keep him out of the game for a number of weeks. But the extent of the injury will not be known until he has a scan this week.

The injury may still not be as bad as it looks. Gbemi Arubi is still carrying an injury. He played on Friday night for the last twenty minutes when Mullins was injured.

Mayowa was due back on Friday. It was thought he had recovered from his hamstring and would play last Friday. It's feared he may still be out for a number of weeks, while he gets rid of the hamstring injury he picked up just before the June break.

Ciaran Kilduff is working intensely on getting players to extend their contacts. He is also looking to see if Dundalk can bring in a number of outside players in the window.

Shamrock Rovers had a game last night at Tallaght Stadium. If they win, they will extend their lead at the top. But Dundalk will have two games in hand on them. So, it's been a great week. There were 4,000 people in Dalymount on Friday.

Have a great week. Look after yourselves and each other. And please be careful out there.