Tiarnan Mulvenna's first half strike helped Dundalk to victory over Wexford Youths in Oriel Park last night as they moved six points clear at the top of the First Division table.
Despite dominating the game for long periods, John Gill's side failed to add to their 16th minute opener, leaving the game on a knife-edge right up until the final whistle.
It was Wexford who went close early on with Danny Furlong getting in behind the Dundalk defence on 13 minutes only to be denied a shot at goal by the alert Chris Bennion who was quick off his line to clear the danger.
Within three minutes they were chasing the game as Mulvenna raced onto Trevor Vaughan's flick on before steering a shot high into the right hand corner of the net.
Vaughan then tested Wexford goalkeeper Pa Doyle three times from just outside the box before the break as the home side piled on the pressure, and they should have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when a superb pass from Mulvenna sent Paul Crowley free inside the box, but the midfielder failed to get his shot away.
The Youths slowly came back into the game in the second half with Patsy Malone wasting their best chance to level matters when he headed over from close range on 63 minutes.
Dundalk then introduced new signings Derek Doyle and Dessie Baker in an effort to put the game to bed, but it was Wexford who went closest to scoring before the end with Conor Sinnott firing over after bursting forward from midfield 11 minutes from time, and team-mate Keith Kearney going even closer with a long range drive five minutes later.
Dundalk: Bennion; Flanagan, Ryan Whelehan, Crawley; Cassidy, Crowley, Shiels, O'Connor (Doyle, 68 mins); Vaughan (Baker, 72 mins), Mulvenna (Duffy, 85 mins).
Wexford: P Doyle; Rossiter, Russell, Wallace, Flynn-O'Connor; G Doyle, Sinnott, Malone, Kearney; Furlong, Aust (Wallace, 69 mins).
Referee: John McLoughlin.
