Stephen Kenny targets result to ‘shock’ Europe

League champions and league leaders Dundalk are accustomed to having it almost all their own way in the domestic game, their potent mix of pace, fluent passing and goal-power a testament not just to the exceptional quality of players like Richie Towell and Daryl Horgan but also to manager Stephen Kenny’s commitment to playing football as it should be played.

But having done some impressive heavy lifting in Belarus last week, when they could consider themselves unlucky to have gone down 2-1 to a team of serious Champions League pedigree in BATE Borisov, tonight in their second round second leg game at Oriel Park Dundalk will face a different kind of challenge — how to go about playing their normal attacking game in search of the goal they need but without being inhibited by the fear factor of conceding what could prove a decisive away goal for the Belarussian side.

“There is a dilemma there and it has been discussed,” concedes Kenny. “But I have plenty of experience in that regard, in relation to do you sit tight, not concede and try win it in the last 20 minutes?