Dundalk have it all to do to keep their European hopes alive after having defensive errors punished in a 3-1 defeat by KA Akureyri in their Europa Conference League second qualifying round first leg tie in Reykjavik.
Stephen O'Donnell’s side conceded with all three shots on target against them in the first half as Bjarni Adalsteinsson’s opener was added to by a Sveinn Margeir Hauksson double before the break after Daniel Kelly had briefly equalised for the Lilywhites.
Dundalk had rode their luck at times in the first qualifying round against Bruno’s Magpies but were punished for their poor defending by Hallgrímur Jónasson’s side, who currently sit in sixth place in the Icelandic Premier Division.
While they did tighten things up in the second half with John Martin unlucky not to score, they will have to produce something special now in Thursday's second leg at Oriel Park to set up a clash with either Club Brugge or Aarhus in the next round.
The visitors could have been ahead inside the opening minute with Kelly breaking up the left past Dusan Brkovic before pulling the ball back to Johannes Yli-Kokko, who couldn't get the right connection on it to beat Kritijan Jajalo.
KA gradually grew into the game and were unlucky not to take the lead on the quarter hour mark when Dundalk failed to deal with Paetur Petersen’s free kick. The ball fell for Rodri, whose effort spun over off the crossbar after a last ditch challenge from Darragh Leahy.
Patrick Hoban then headed just over from Archie Davies’ cross on 21 minutes before Birgir Baldvinsson pulled an effort just wide at the other end four minutes later.
The lead goal then arrived on 28 minutes with Adalsteinsson capitalising on a slip by Andy Boyle after being picked out by Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson to fire right-footed past Nathan Shepperd.
The home side’s lead would last less than four minutes as Kelly reacted quickest to Davies’ cross from the right not being cleared, to hook a brilliant shot past Jajalo. The 27-year-old, cousin of Republic of Ireland women’s international Abbie Larkin, then had two big chances within 30 seconds of each other to put his side in front but his first effort was blocked by Brkovic at full stretch before being denied by the legs of Jajalo in a follow up attack.
Those misses were to prove crucial as KA restored their lead on 37 minutes with Daniel Hafsteinsson slipping Hauksson in behind Robbie McCourt on the right for him to fire across Shepperd to the left hand corner.
Things then went from bad to worse for Dundalk on the stroke of half-time when Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson sprung the offside trap to break on the right. His pull back saw Steingrimsson step over it with Hauksson rifling low past Shepperd to the bottom right hand corner.
Steingrimsson would slice another effort wide shortly after the restart before Leahy fired a free kick into the wall at the other end.
Dundalk then had a big chance on 66 minutes when Kelly broke to the end line on the right before pulling back to substitute John Martin but the Kilkenny man’s effort was straight at Jajalo.
A minute later Davies picked out Hoban again but his downward header deflected wide off Kelly.
Martin, who scored his first European goal in the previous round against Bruno’s Magpies, was in the thick of it again on 72 minutes as he got on the end of Leahy’s cross from the left. His initial effort was well saved by Jajalo before the follow up was blocked on the line by Hafsteinsson.
The Louth men continued to press but Hayden Muller could only head wide from Connor Malley’s free kick two minutes from time as their bid to half the deficit for the second leg fell short.
KA Akureyri: Kristijan Jajalo; Hrannar Mar Steingrímsson (Alex Freyr Elísson 90), Dusan Brkovic, Rodri, Birgir Baldvinsson; Sveinn Margeir Hauksson (Jóan Edmundsson 81), Bjarni Adalsteinsson, Daníel Hafsteinsson; Paetur Petersen (Jakob Snaer Árnason 60), Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson (Elfar Adalsteinsson 81), Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson.
Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Hayden Muller, Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy, Robbie McCourt (Ryan O'Kane HT); Johannes Yli-Kokko (John Martin 63), Greg Sloggett (Paul Doyle 63), Connor Malley, Daniel Kelly (Cameron Elliott 81); Patrick Hoban.
Referee: Georgi Davidov (Bulgaria).
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