Dundalk win away to Students

Dundalk FC maintained their six-point cushion at the top of the SSE Airtricity League First Division with a dramatic and hard-earned 1-0 victory over UCD at Belfield, a result that may prove pivotal in their pursuit of automatic promotion.

Daryl Horgan’s calmly dispatched penalty deep into first-half stoppage time ultimately separated the sides, but it was goalkeeper Enda Minogue who emerged as the true hero of the night.

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With three minutes remaining, Minogue produced a decisive save to deny Adam Brennan from the spot, preserving a precious clean sheet and securing all three points.

The Lilywhites signalled their intent early, nearly breaking the deadlock inside four minutes when Declan McDaid’s pinpoint delivery found Andy Paraschiv, who slipped his marker and headed against the upright.

UCD responded shortly thereafter, though Adam Wells’ wayward strike posed more threat to the corner flag than the Dundalk goal.

That effort seemed to rouse The Students, though, and they began to carve openings of their own. Ciaran Behan sent Mikey Raggett racing beyond Mayowa Animasahun, but the forward dragged his shot narrowly wide.

Animasahun, returning to the Dundalk fold after a three-game absence, found himself in the referee’s book moments later for a robust challenge on Raggett. From the resulting free-kick, Adam Verdon rattled the underside of the crossbar, with Horgan on hand to clear the danger.

Galvanised by the near miss, Dundalk reasserted control. Horgan and McDaid combined smartly from a short corner, the former’s cross flicked narrowly wide by Conor O’Keeffe.

Horgan then opted for a more direct delivery, which Eanna Clancy did well to clear, before Paraschiv tested UCD’s Dara Kavanagh with a tame shot from distance.

Chances continued to fall for the visitors, with Gbemi Arubi glancing O’Keeffe’s cross wide before Harry Groome sliced a shot off target from a promising position.

Their persistence bore fruit in stoppage time, as Horgan’s corner from the right led to Jake Doyle tugging on Animasahun’s shirt inside the area. The referee pointed to the spot, and Horgan coolly converted, sending Kavanagh the wrong way for his fifth goal of the campaign.

The second half saw Dundalk press for a second. Groome surged forward and found Arubi, whose low shot was easily claimed by Kavanagh.

The UCD keeper was called into serious action moments later, pulling off a superb stop to deny McDaid after a dazzling run.

At the other end, Wells continued to misfire, dragging an effort well wide, while Clancy’s low drive—after a powerful forward burst—was narrowly deflected wide by Animasahun.

Verdon’s curling free-kick, after Wells was fouled by Aodh Dervin in that attack, was safely gathered by Minogue.

Minogue’s heroics continued as he acrobatically tipped Wells’ curling effort over the bar, before reacting sharply to prevent an own goal after a wayward touch from O’Keeffe.

As the game entered its dying moments, UCD were handed a lifeline. Animasahun was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area, gifting the hosts a penalty with just one minute remaining.

But Brennan’s strike was brilliantly saved by the feet of Minogue, and while the rebound was bundled into the net, referee Mark Houlihan ruled it out for handball against Brian McManus in the build-up—much to the elation of the travelling Dundalk faithful.

The final whistle confirmed a win forged in grit and resilience, with Dundalk holding firm in the face of a late UCD onslaught to emerge victorious in a match that may loom large come season’s end.

UCD: Dara Kavanagh; Adam Wells, Carl Lennox (Ryan McBrearty 79), Eanna Clancy (Declan Osagie 79), Brian McManus; Ciaran Behan (Louis Dignam 84), Adam Verdon; Mikey McCullagh (Sam Norval 79), Jake Doyle, Adam Brennan; Mikey Raggett (Hugh Smith 59)

Subs not used: Noah Douglas (gk), Odhran MacLaughlin, Kyle Donoghue, Harry Whelan

Dundalk FC: Enda Minogue; Conor O’Keeffe, Mayowa Animasahun, Vinnie Leonard, JR Wilson; Aodh Dervin, Andy Paraschiv (Shane Tracey 78); Declan McDaid (Rohan Vaughan 78), Harry Groome (Eoin Kenny 67), Daryl Horgan (Keith Ward 90+3); Gbemi Arubi (Dean Ebbe 67)

Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (gk), Luke Mulligan, Sean Spaight, TJ Molloy

Referee: Mark Houlihan (Dublin)

Attendance: 579