Dundalk’s treble dream is still on although the champions needed Michael Duffy’s 89th-minute winner to break Sligo Rovers’ resolve in yesterday’s Extra.ie FAI Cup semi-final at The Showgrounds.

Dundalk are league champions again after seeing off the challenge of Shamrock Rovers tonight in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

Dundalk remain four points clear at the top of the Premier Division following a comfortable 3-0 win over UCD in Belfield last night.

There was no sign of a European hangover from league leaders Dundalk FC as they put 10 man Finn Harps to the sword at Oriel Park last night.

Two goals inside the opening 33 minutes from Rafael Ratão and Aleksandar Čavrić killed the game as a contest and while the Lilywhites never gave up, even briefly threatening a mini-revival when Michael Duffy pulled one back midway through the second half, this ultimately proved a challenge too far.

Dundalk head coach Vinny Perth has called on Irish football fans to support his side as their Europa League qualifying campaign continues in Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday, after seeing his side progress to the second round of the FAI Cup with a 1-0 victory over Cobh Ramblers.

Gutsy Dundalk will go to Azerbaijan next week with a genuine opportunity of reaching the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

It was an emotional night all round, featuring a newborn baby, a European record, the financial boost of another round, and Dundalk's Champions League dream living on after a see-saw penalty shoot-out.

Dundalk are through to the second round of the Champions League qualifiers.

Dundalk will have to score in Latvia next Wednesday to keep their Champions League dreams alive after a frustrating stalemate with Riga FC at Oriel Park tonight.

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

There is no change at the top of the Premier Division this evening as both Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers recorded victories tonight.

It’s the New Firm — but not as we know it.

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.

League and FAI Cup runners-up Cork City, who finished 15 points clear of third place, has no representatives on the team.

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.

With one hand already on the title, Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny is determined to complete the job against St Patrick’s Athletic at Oriel Park tonight (7.45pm, live on RTÉ2).

Dundalk’s ‘bouncebackability’ will be put to the test against Limerick at the Market’s Field tonight, as the Premier Division leaders resume their quest to dethrone champions Cork City who currently trail them by just three points.

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.

Cork City will continue to look over their shoulders as Dundalk produced another demolition of Derry City at the Brandywell, the Lilywhites rarely moving into top gear to remain one point adrift at the business end of the Premier Division.

Premier Division top spot going into the mid-season break is what’s at stake in the SSE Airtricity League this evening as leaders Cork City host Bohemians, while Dundalk, just a point behind the defending champions, travel to Derry.

Dundalk 2 Sligo Rovers 1

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).

Cork City suffered their first defeat of the new league campaign as an early Pat Hoban goal proved enough to secure a significant victory for their great rivals Dundalk at a raucous Oriel Park last night.

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.

Cork City 1 - Dundalk 1: Cork City were just three minutes away from their first title in 12 years last night but, frustratingly for the home side, a Robbie Benson goal — cancelling out a first half Brian Gartland own goal — smashed and grabbed the point for Dundalk which was enough to prevent the trophy officially changing hands at Turner’s Cross.

CORK City will have to wait another few weeks to finally relieve defending champions Dundalk of their league crown and smash their four in-a-row bid after a highly-charged and dramatic night’s football at a sold out Turner’s Cross tonight.

Dundalk 6 St Patrick’s Athletic 0: Oriel Park might be resigned to saying goodbye to the league title this season but a rampant Dundalk showed they are going to make Cork City take it from them after a six-goal thumping of St Patrick’s Athletic last night.

Dundalk 2 Galway Utd 0: Goals in either half from Dane Massey and Patrick McEleney saw Dundalk continue their positive momentum at Oriel Park last night as they left Galway Utd rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division.

New Limerick boss Neil McDonald wants his side to lay down a marker against defending Premier League champions Dundalk at the Markets Field tonight.

Shamrock Rovers 2 - Dundalk 1: “Cheerio four-in-a-row,” sang the Shamrock Rovers supporters as the Hoops inflicted a fifth league defeat on Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium last night.

Last week they beat champions Dundalk and next week they face leaders Cork. But, this evening, Bray Wanderers will be hoping to keep their early title ambitions on course as they host Shamrock Rovers at the Carlisle Grounds.

St Patrick’s Athletic 2 Limerick 0: St Patrick’s Athletic progressed to the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup with a 2-0 win over Limerick at Richmond Park last night.

Christy Fagan worked the oracle once again with a crucial goal in Europe as St Patrick’s Athletic grabbed a battling draw in Belarus last night.

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 AS Jeunesse Esch 0

St Patrick’s Athletic 0 Shamrock Rovers 2: Goals in either half from Brandon Miele and Gary Shaw gave Shamrock Rovers the points from this Dublin derby at Richmond Park.

Ger Pender scored a first-half winner to lift managerless Bray Wanderers off the foot of the Premier Division as they shocked St Patrick’s Athletic, who finished with 10 men, with a 1-0 win at the Carlisle Grounds.