"Inevitably, Daryl Horgan was involved, collecting a Patrick McEleney cross at the back post before creating a yard of space to deliver with his right foot.
"The ball evaded Benson but Kilduff was in the right place to side foot home and secure the very first win by an Irish side in the European group stages."
Eight-and-a-half years on from that fateful 29 September 2016 night when Dundalk made history by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League, a couple of those protagonists can still be found within the Lilywhites ranks.
After adventures across the Irish Sea and a succession of caps for the Boys in Green to boot, Daryl Horgan has been back prowling the touchline at Oriel Park for the last 18 months.
And what of the birthday boy who he assisted for the goal? Well, Ciarán Kilduff will also be patrolling the touchline, only in his case, the former striker will be on the other side of it, calling the shots from the shade of the Dundalk dugout after his appointment two months ago.
But the world in which he will be doing so will be altogether different from the halcyon days under Stephen Kenny when Kilduff was part of back-to-back league title wins in 2015 and 2016 and scored two momentous Europa League goals, the equaliser against AZ Alkmaar a fortnight earlier foreshadowing the winner against Maccabi.
While the Kildare native was guiding Athlone Town towards the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division title and another Cup final last autumn, Dundalk were in crisis.
Indeed last September, one of the country's most storied clubs almost went into oblivion, only to be pulled back from the precipice.
The bottom did fall out of their residency in the Men's Premier Division but the real worry was whether they would still be at the First Division start line this year. That they are is a victory in itself as Kilduff told RTÉ Sport at the recent launch of the League of Ireland season at Dublin's Mansion House with this Friday's season opener against Athlone looming.
"There were some really worrying days and I had some friends that were still players up there involved in it and you never like to see it," Kilduff said of watching the unfolding Dundalk crisis from afar last year.
"And the club has so much history. Some of it that I was part of and, of course, you can't help when you've been a player and when you've been with a club through some good times and then you see in the bad times, you can't help but try and relate and help.
"And little did I know I'd be the manager, next one in after all of those troubles. But I think we've got the right people in the building, John Temple and people like that who came in and saved the club... Chris Clinton... these people went to war for it and to get us out of it, out of the hole we were in was something people need to realise how serious it was and to still be around now, there's a really good feeling around the club now knowing that it almost feels like we're lucky to be here.
"That was a bonus and it was part of it for me that this is a brand new rebuild, a brand new reset and what an opportunity for a young manager like myself to go in and have the opportunity to build something here."
Trepidation about stepping into the breach was natural of course, although Kilduff feels like he had the "easy job which was the football side of things" in the turbulent weeks before their place in the league was assured.
But as the dust settles, the canvas is not blank, with Horgan's experience supplemented by Keith Ward who has come back for a fourth spell in Louth's county town, along with goalkeeper Peter Cherrie and the newly-signed striker Dean Ebbe who arrives after a prolific spell at Athlone.
Young talent abounds, with Eoin Kenny, son of the aforementioned ex-Republic of Ireland manager Stephen, and centre-back Mayoma Animasahun among those Kilduff is counting on being the hopes that spring eternal during the upcoming campaign.
"I think both the senior players and the young players are really happy with things at the minute and they know opportunities are coming, which is all you want," said Kilduff.
"Eoin Kenny, Vinnie Leonard has had a great pre-season, Mayoma - the lads are coming through and smelling blood this year.
"They're going, 'This is an opportunity for me, had Dundalk been in the Premier Divison, you wouldn't be promoting the young fellas as quickly', and we have to now and they're ready, and it's great."
Relegated clubs, especially ones of Dundalk's stature, are often favourites to go straight back up and Kilduff is quietly optimistic that they can compete, although he is loath to set concrete targets.
"It's funny, the targets change every week," he said.
"I mean, the finishing target was to get a licence and then when you get that, all of a sudden everyone is saying you need to win it.
"So look, the targets are to be as competitive as we can be. We know we've the players in the squad to be up there challenging if we can.
"But I think we have to realise where we are. We've 18 new players in the squad, 19 players from last year have moved on. It's a huge overhaul and that's going to take time to bed in.
"We had some pre-season games where it looked really good, others where it looked like there was loads of work to be done. I think it might be that kind of season, so we'll need time for it all to settle down.
"But I'd back the lads I have, the staff I have - bringing in Ken (Kiernan) as an assistant manager, someone who I've worked with before (at Athlone women's), and Gerry Spain and 'Burnsie' (Liam Burns) - so there's some great people in that dressing room who are going to give these lads everything.
"We want to be as competitive as we can be. We're still Dundalk at the end of the day. We're one of the most successful clubs in Irish history so that's obviously going to come with expectation and we're no different as players and staff thinking like that.
"We're grateful that we've a season ahead to look forward to and we'll definitely be giving it everything."
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