Seán Gannon’s 73rd-minute goal was the difference at Tallaght last night, as Dundalk edged a nail-biting affair against Shamrock Rovers.

A hat-trick from John Mountney secured a 4-0 win at home to Sligo Rovers, ending Sligo's unbeaten run of seven games in the process.

Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley is surprised he won’t see the familiar face of John Caulfield in the opposing dugout at Tallaght Stadium tonight.

Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley is surprised he won’t see the familiar face of John Caulfield in the opposing dugout at Tallaght Stadium tonight.

Dundalk FC have their swagger back as a brace from Michael Duffy helped the champions ease past the challenge of Waterford FC to record their fifth win on the bounce in last night’s SSE Airtricity Premier Division clash at the RSC.

With final college exams just weeks away, you’d expect Cork City defender Sean McLoughlin to be feeling some sort of pressure.

New Dundalk head coach, Vinny Perth, says that Saturday night’s President’s Cup win over Cork City was the team and management proving themselves.

And so the league champions are now also the cup holders, Dundalk confirming another changing of the guard in Irish football by doing what Cork City had done one year before: the precious double.

Hail, hail King Kenny.

Denis Hurley picks out five talking points from Dundalk's FAI Cup final victory.

On the night the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division title returned to Oriel Park, Dundalk FC served up a five-star display against managerless Sligo Rovers.

In a game of huge significance for both sides, but for very different reasons, Dundalk host Shamrock Rovers in a deferred SSE Airtricity League Premier Division clash at Oriel Park tonight (7.45pm).

Goals in either half from Ronan Murray and Georgie Kelly saw Dundalk overcome Finn Harps at Oriel Park last night to book their place in the FAI Cup quarter-finals.

The World Cup might be heating up in Russia but the biggest game on this side of Europe will take place in Oriel Park tonight when Dundalk host Cork City.

Boosted by his team’s first back-to-back league victories this season, manager Keith Long is calling on Bohemians to “have a go” against league leaders Dundalk at Dalymount tonight.

Derry City might be long shots for a title challenge but they showed they are up to the task after battling back twice to claim a share of the spoils with Dundalk FC at Oriel Park last night.

Limerick 0 Dundalk 3

The story goes that Jose Mourinho once hid in a laundry basket to brief his players covertly and get around a matchday suspension, but manager John Caulfield won’t be going to such lengths when Cork City host Sligo Rovers in their SSE Airtricity Premier Division clash at Turner’s Cross this evening (7.45pm).

There was no Friday the 13th nightmare for Dundalk, as they took sole possession of the Premier Division leadership.

A week after the ‘beast from the east’ snowfall wreaked havoc on the SSE Airtricity League programme, champions Cork City will have to cope with Dundalk’s ‘best of the west’ at Oriel Park tonight.

And so Irish sport’s answer to the Winter Olympics — otherwise known as the League of Ireland summer season — comes around again, the burning passion of the faithful set to go head to head with the piercing February chill on this long-awaited opening night.

Club captain Johnny Dunleavy has signed for the new season with Cork City though it looks like being March at the earliest before he will be ready to return to action.

Dundalk have completed the signing of striker Ronan Murray.

Stephen Kenny hasn’t had too many disappointments in his time as Dundalk manager but perhaps top of the list is last year’s FAI Cup final defeat to Cork City.

Their own survival, rather than any part they may indirectly play in being Kingmakers, is all that’s on Finn Harps’ minds as they face reigning champions Dundalk in Ballybofey this evening.

SSE Airtricity League

Dundalk displayed their desire to regain the FAI Cup by hitting Derry City for four at Oriel Park last night.

Rosenborg 2 - 1 Dundalk (a.e.t - Rosenborg win 3-2 on agg.) Matthias Vilhjalmsson’s header in extra-time and the top of the crossbar denied Dundalk a stunning result against Rosenborg at the Lerkendal Stadion last night as their European dreams came to a cruel end in Norway.

Dundalk will have to repeat their feat of 12 months ago and score away in Scandinavia next week if they are to embark on another European adventure.

SSE Airtricity Premier Division

Goals from Seanie Maguire, Kevin O’Connor, and Karl Sheppard fired Cork City to a deserved President’s Cup victory in front of 3,100 fans at Turner’s Cross last night.

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny insists his side remain in a “good position” to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Europa League despite being left cursing their luck for the second time in a fortnight after losing out to Zenit St Petersburg in a snow-covered Petrovsky Stadium last night.

“You just can’t write it can you?” beamed John Mountney after playing his part in helping Dundalk to their third league title success in-a-row on Sunday night.

It probably says everything about what Dundalk are achieving this season that the overriding feeling at the end of this defeat to Zenit was one of acute disappointment.

After Dundalk had taken a giant step towards a third successive league title by beating Longford Town 3-0 on Monday night, Stephen Kenny surveyed a dressing room which resembled a field hospital more than a party zone, with players stretched out on benches nursing injuries or simply laid low by sheer fatigue, as a fourth game in 10 days took its toll.