Dundalk 1-2 Longford Town

Dundalk's First Division title hopes suffered a massive blow at Oriel Park last night after they went down to Longford Town.

John Gill's side waited until falling two behind until they started to play, with this result meaning that second placed Waterford Utd can end their 11 week stint at the top of the table if they beat third-from-bottom Athlone Town at home on Friday night.

The Louthmen were playing catch-up from the eighth minute of the game when Darren McKenna opened the scoring for Longford with an audacious 35 yard effort that flew into the top corner after Jamie Duffy had lost possession in midfield.

The home side struggled to break down their opponents after that, with David Cassidy wasting one of their few openings on 19 minutes when he raced onto Dessie Baker's flick only to blaze over.

Dundalk's best effort of the first half came on 33 minutes, when a quick free from Baker was curled around the wall, only to come back off the butt of the post.

Tiarnan Mulvenna did manage to tap home from the rebound, but his celebrations were short-lived as the goal was ruled out for offside.

The home side upped their game slightly on the restart, but found themselves two behind on 58 minutes when they failed to clear a free kick from the right, allowing Alan Lynch to squeeze a snap shot from the edge of the area inside Chris Bennion's near post.

The league leaders were thrown a lifeline five minutes later, however, when Longford got caught out trying to play the offside trap from David Crawley's free on the right, allowing Simon Kelly to steal in for an unmarked header to make it 2-1.

The Lilywhites then went in desperate search of an equaliser but were thwarted time and time again by Carlingford's Neil Gallagher, who was in inspired form.

The former Dundalk keeper should have been picking the ball out of his net on 77 minutes, however, when Crawley's free on the left was met by the unmarked Derek Doyle six yards out, but the ex-UCD man failed to make proper contact with his header as a great chance went abegging.

Moments later Gallagher had to be alert to stop Gary Murphy from turning the ball into his own net before he brilliantly pushed an effort from Mulvenna around the post 12 minutes from time.

Referee Rob Rogers then made a hugely controversial decision four minutes from time when he awarded a free to Dundalk outside the box after former Longford Town striker Robert Martin had been pulled back inside the box as he raced clear through on goal.

Having survived that scare Vinny Perth's visitors managed to weather the late storm to hold out for the win.

Dundalk: Bennion; Marney, Kelly, Whelehan, Grimes (Crawley, 58 mins); Duffy, Shiels (Martin, 63 mins), Cassidy, O'Connor (Doyle, 72 mins); Baker, Mulvenna.

Longford Town: Gallagher; Gough (Oladele, half-time), Bermingham, Frawley, O'Riordan; Hardy, Doyle, Harte, Lynch (Rushe, 80 mins); McKenna, Murphy (Douglas, 92 mins).

Referee: Rob Rogers.