Dundalk v Cork City, Oriel Park, Friday, 7.45pm, RTÉ Two
Just as he has generally personified the team's desire to get on the ball, pass it and play a bit this year, Richie Towell was a prime example of Dundalk's difficulties last week in Bray where the 23 year-old midfielder looked, appropriately enough, all at sea in the wild and wet conditions.
The draw there combined with the one against Shamrock Rovers four days earlier and Cork City's relentless late season charge has left Dundalk with work to do again at Oriel Park in tomorrow's sold-out decider with the home side needing to win now in order to leapfrog the visitors and land the title.
Opinions differ as to quite who is supposed to be in the driving seat at this stage but Towell remains upbeat, insisting that the mood in the camp is calm and, by the sound of things, quietly confident.
Disappointing
“We were gutted (on Friday),” he says. “Obviously conditions played a part but we’re not going to make excuses, we should have won anyway. We didn’t play well enough on the night. It’s disappointing but we know we have to do the business on Friday now and it will probably suit us to go and attack and bring it to Cork.”
It may well suit Cork too, of course, with John Caulfield’s side expert in the art of keeping clean sheets while grabbing the goals required for victory. Towell, though, believes that if he and his team mates can keep their heads and play their game then they are still in a good position to win the game and retake top spot.
Cup final
“It is like a cup final but I think it’s important we don’t play the occasion. Our natural game is great to watch. When we’re at our finest is when we’re free flowing. But if you get caught up in the atmosphere, football can get lost in it. Hopefully, we can go out and play our natural game.”
Career high
From a personal point of view, he says, it will be a career high, eclipsing some of the big days in Scotland and last month’s league cup success. It would be nice, he admits, to be the hero in a stylish win but Dundalk, he makes clear, will take the points at this stage absolutely any way they can get them.
"Obviously I played at Ibrox with Hibs," he says. "I made my (Celtic) debut at Celtic Park. But I don't think I've ever played in a game like this, one with everything riding on it. I've played in Setanta Cup final this year and the EA Sports Cup final.
“But I don’t think it’s of the magnitude of this game. I’m really excited about the game you know. I think it’s going to be great occasion, a great spectacle for everybody.
More minutes
“I think personal things go out the window,” continues the midfielder who has scored 11 league goals this season and played more minutes for the team than any other outfield player. “I’d sacrifice anything for myself to win the game and get a league winner’s medal because we’ve worked hard all year we have.
“For me to score one or two goals in the game would be great because it would help us win the game but I’d take one in off me arse, I would.
“When it comes to games like this, it doesn’t matter how it’s won. As I said, the personal stuff goes out the window, we need to focus as a team because if we get it done the whole town will be buzzing.”
