Dundalk 1-0 Athlone Town

A Trevor Vaughan penalty a minute from time kept Dundalk’s First Division title challenge alive after victory against Athlone Town at Oriel Park.

Having lost back-to-back games against Waterford United and Limerick 37 in recent weeks, John Gill’s side looked like losing further ground to trailblazers Shelbourne after being frustrated for virtually the entire game.

However, a handball by Athlone defender Des Hope gifted the out-of-form Louth outfit a chance to steal the win, with veteran substitute Vaughan doing just that with a low drive past Ciaran Kelly.

The home side went close to opening the scoring three times in as many minutes at the start of the match, with John Flanagan, David Cassidy and captain Aidan Lynch all going close with headers that were just off target.

The chances quickly dried up, however, and it was Athlone who went closest to opening the scoring a minute before the break when Johnny Mernagh’s back-heel left Anthony Hayes with space to shoot from the edge of the area, but his effort was well dealt with by Chris Bennion.

Dundalk launched wave after wave of attack on the restart and thought they had broke the deadlock on 63 minutes, only for Robbie Martin’s effort to be ruled out for offside.

The visitors could well have taken the lead themselves six minutes from time, but substitute Niall Scullion’s 25-yard effort was brilliantly finger-tipped over the bar by Bennion.

The game looked to be heading for a stalemate, but Vaughan’s spot-kick stole the points for the hosts.

Dundalk: Bennion; Flanagan, Lynch (Crowley, 81 mins), Ryan, Crawley; Duffy, Shiels, Cassidy, O’Connor (Smyth, 67 mins); Mulvenna (Vaughan, 84 mins), Martin.

Athlone Town: Kelly; Rossiter, Hope, Keady, Reilly; Hayes, Jinks, Coffey, Hamm (Scullion, 70 mins); Lavine (Russo, 79 mins), Mernagh (McGee, 87 mins).

Referee: Ian Stokes (Dublin).