A cross from the Scales on the left falls to Hoare on the edge of the area and his volley just dips over the bar. All Rovers this half so far.

A cross from the Scales on the left falls to Hoare on the edge of the area and his volley just dips over the bar. All Rovers this half so far.

Ronan Finn nearly adds a third for the home side as he latched onto a cross from the right, his turn with pace was excellent but Abibi was alert to the danger.

And we are back underway. McEleney restarts the game for Dundalk.

HALF TIME: By all accounts, this has been an excellent game, three well-taken goals with little give between the sides. Fantastic goals from Sean Gannon and Liam Scales have cancelled out Pat Hoban\'s strike.

Another impeccable strike. Sean Gannon with a pin point volley on the edge of the area after it fell to him from a Richie Towell free kick. Thia game is no turned on its head.

For a foul Leahy gets booked.

From a corner, Nattestad rises highest but it flashes wide, this in fairness is a cracking game of football. Both teams are really showing for it.

What a strike. Scales picks up the ball on the edge of the area and lets one fly from the edge of the area and Abibi could do nothing to stop it.

Zahibo comes on to replace him.

Sloggett comes off after injury.

Sonni Nattestad does brilliantly hook a leg out and divert a cross into the box. But the second ball falls to Gaffney who tries to curl one home but Andy Boyle makes an excellent block to deny a certain goal with Abibi off position.

Dundalk should be 2-0 up as Jurkovskis' cross picked out Hoban six yards from goal but his header and rebound are both saved by Alan Mannus excellently.

Shouts for a penalty turned down by Damien MacGraith after Michael Duffy capitalised on a slip by Liam Scales and somehow it results in a free out to the hosts.

And Dundalk take the lead! Michael Duffy steals the ball of Richie Towell and lays it perfectly to Hoban who slots it past Mannus at the near post.

Another snap shot in the area from Gaffney saw Abibi outstretched but it flashes wide of the near-side post.

Opening five minutes and it has been all Rovers, dynamic and pacy. Dundalk have found it hard so far to get out of their own half.

The first sight on goal sees a through ball almost reach Gaffney but it just evades him.

And we are underway here in Tallaght, Richie Towell gets his first competitive touch of his Shamrock Rovers career kicking us off here.

And here come the teams, Dundalk in their GNR kit which is in dedication to historian Jim Murphy from Dundalk. Shamrock Rovers in the familiar green and white hoops.

Once the darling of Oriel Park, Richie Towell is now a hoop. After spells at Brighton, Rotherham and Salford he has returned home for the first time in six years to play in the League of Ireland. His last act was on these scores was to score the winning goal in the FAI Cup Final for Dundalk FC against Cork City on the 8th of November 2015.

Tonight is the first time since October 28th 2011 Dundalk travel to an away fixture without Chris Shields being at the club

The big news from the Dundalk camp is that Will Patching is straight back into the Dundalk side following his return from a loan spell at Derry. It will be his 10th Dundalk appearance and just his 3rd league start.

Good Evening from Tallaght Stadium for Shamrock Rovers vs Dundalk in the SSE Airtricity League. Ciaran Callan here reporting from the West Stand we the game with more subplots than a bad soap opera is about to unfurl.