Dundalk aiming to seal the title deal at Tallaght Stadium

Life just seems to get better and better for Richie Towell. The free-scoring Dundalk midfielder yesterday collected his second SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers' Association of Ireland Player of the Month award this season, the fourth of his career.

Tonight, against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium, Towell and Dundalk will look to seal a second successive league title.

Dundalk then have an FAI Cup final against Cork City to look forward next month while, on a personal level, 24-year-old Towell's partner, Kelly, is due the couple's first child before Christmas.

Clinching their 11th championship will also create some club history as Dundalk have never won back-back-to-back titles. Indeed, as manager Stephen Kenny has pointed out, it's 42 years since a provincial side did so.

“Yes, definitely there’s less pressure on us,” agreed Towell, of the fact that, unlike last year when they had to win the last match against Cork to be crowned champions, they have four games to secure it this season”.

Added needle

While Rovers won’t want the league won in their back yard, Towell, who has scored 21 league goals this season, doesn’t buy into the hype that there is added needle between the clubs, especially in regard to Kenny having been sacked by the Dublin side in 2012.

“No, I don’t think so. I know people like to build it up like that,” said Towell. “We want to win every game and it just so happens that it’s falling against Shamrock Rovers.”

Dundalk right-back Sean Gannon is suspended while central defender Brian Gartland (quad muscle) remains a doubt. Both Sean Maguire and Georgie Poynton are on international duty with the Republic of Ireland under-21s. A hamstring strain continues to sideline Rovers’ left-back Luke Byrne.

Cork City must win at relegation-threatened Drogheda United or their FAI Cup final opponents will all but have won the title, regardless of their result in Dublin 24.