Daniel Kelly has sent Dundalk fans leaving Oriel Park more than happy on more than one occasion this season and the same could be said again last night following his goal to snatch the win over Derry City. The pacy winger has been the break out pla
Daniel Kelly has sent Dundalk fans leaving Oriel Park more than happy on more than one occasion this season and the same could be said again last night following his goal to snatch the win over Derry City. The pacy winger has been the break out player of this season for Dundalk and he hopes to continue his run of form right up to the end of the season. “I am buzzing but I thought it was a tough game,” reflected Kelly at the full-time whistle at Oriel Park, the mood still buzzing around Oriel Park although a little muted than that of previous weeks. “Derry are always decent against us and we found it hard to break them down but it was a great ball in from Ganno himself and I got a bit of joy when I switched over to the left and I knew as soon as he looked up to be in the box and thankfully it’s gone in.” Kelly has notched up thirteen goals this season for Dundalk, three more than his own personal set target of ten, a continued run in the side in the absence of the injured John Mountney has meant that Kelly is relishing the opportunities given to him at Oriel Park. “At the start of the season, my goal was to get ten goals and I have thirteen now so hopefully we will finish the season strong hopefully.” Dundalk has two final league road trips with back to back visits to Turners Cross but firstly Dalymount Park, a ground Kelly is all too familiar. He was part of the Bohemians side that made it all the way to the FAI Cup Semi-Final last year. “Obviously I got a bit of joy last year and I loved playing for Bohs and the fans are great, obviously I’m with Dundalk now and they are pushing for Europe they got a good result tonight but we will be going to win the game our aim is to go unbeaten for the rest of the season. And we will keep going and flying into the final.” The FAI Cup Final and the thought of a treble is very much the focus on the next few weeks for Dundalk players, niggling injuries will mean players can be afforded to be rested, others will still be vying to stake a claim in the starting eleven. Kelly is no different to any player in the squad, he wants to walk out onto the hallowed turf of the Aviva. “The squad is so good, I don’t think anyone is safe really to be nailed down to be playing, hopefully, if I keep playing well and the lads keep playing well I will be in the team but we will see what happens.” The stadium has a special place in Kelly’s heart, the Aviva and the old ‘Landsdowne Road’ have been part of Kelly’s childhood coming from Ringsend. The chance to play there would be a dream become reality. “It’s unbelievable, it’s in my back garden, it’s something I’ll look forward to and hopefully its a trophy at the end of the season.”
