Dean Ebbe's 25th-minute strike proved decisive as Dundalk made it three wins from three in their first ever meeting with Kerry FC to maintain their lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division table.
Ciarán Kilduff’s side had to do things the hard way in front of a sell-out crowd in Tralee to claim their third 1-0 win of the campaign, having played over an hour with 10 men following the sending off of Leo Gaxha against his home town club.
The Co Louth side had dominated up to the 35th minute dismissal with Ebbe’s first goal for his new employers no more than they deserved.
Kerry, who came into the game unbeaten, largely dominated in the second half but despite waves of pressure failed to find the goal that would have preserved their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Despite seven minutes of additional time, Dundalk held out for their third clean sheet of the campaign, to claim a win in the meeting of the two sides who were formerly owned by Boston-based businessman Brian Ainscough.
It was largely one-way traffic in the early stages with, Daryl Horgan, Sean McHale and Sean Keogh all going close for the visitors before they hit the front on 25 minutes.
After feeding the ball off to Horgan on the left, the former Republic of Ireland winger burst past Alex Dunne before squaring to Ebbe, whose effort beat Tim-Oliver Hiemer despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it.
It took Kerry until the half hour mark to register a shot but after Carl Mujagazi’s effort had deflected wide, they perhaps should have equalised when the resulting corner fell to Niall Brockwell in the box only for the midfielder to fire over.
The game then turned in the home side’s favour on 35 minutes when Gaxha, who had gone close with a header three minutes earlier, was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Brockwell.
Despite that setback, Dundalk had a trio of fantastic chances to add to their lead before the break, all of which fell to Eoin Kenny.
The teenage son of St Patrick’s Athletic boss Stephen should have made it 2-0 on 40 minutes when he broke clear from inside his own half after a Sean O’Connell shot rebounded kindly for him. However, his dinked effort crept just wide of the left hand post.
The 19-year-old was then denied by Hiemer three minutes later after Ebbe and Kevin Williams had missed Vinnie Leonard’s ball forward.
Kenny had the ball in the net in stoppage time but it was ruled out for a foul on O’Connell. Just before that they had almost had a leveller when Nathan Gleeson’s header spun off the crossbar from Alex Dunne’s cross.
Sean McCarthy’s side went close again within a minute of the restart when Daniel Okwute found space on the left to get a shot away, which beat Enda Minogue but was headed off the line by the alert Sean McHale.
Okwute went close twice more in the minutes afterwards before McHale came to his side’s rescue once again with a block on Ronan Teahan’s shot.
Sean McGrath then pulled an effort from just outside the box wide on 61 minutes before having a close range attempt saved by Minogue after a scuffed effort six minutes later.
Luke Mulligan then sent a rare effort for the visitors off target on 69 minutes before Horgan had one blocked by Brockwell after his side had soaked up an abundance of further pressure 11 minutes later.
Kerry continued to press in the closing stages with a goalmouth scramble seeing both Aodh Dervin and McHale make huge goal-saving blocks with four minutes to go.
Horgan, who was denied by a fine block from Cian Brosnan, and substitute Andy Paraschiv, who pulled an effort just wide, had chances to put the result to bed for the visitors approaching the 90-minute mark but despite failing to take them they were able to see off some late pressure from their hosts to ensure it was a third win in a row in their battle for an instant return to the Premier Division.
Kerry FC: Tim-Oliver Hiemer; Alex Dunne (Finn Barrett 82), Kevin Williams (Oran Crowe HT), Christopher McQueen, Sean O’Connell (Luke Palmer 72); Niall Brockwell, Carl Mujaguzi (Cian Brosnan HT); Ronan Teahan, Sean McGrath (Theo Farqhurson 87), Daniel Okwute; Nathan Gleeson.
Dundalk: Enda Minogue; Conor O’Keeffe, Sean McHale, Vinnie Leonard, Sean Keogh; Harry Groome (Andy Paraschiv 69), Aodh Dervin; Leo Gaxha, Eoin Kenny (Gbemi Arubi 69), Daryl Horgan (Keith Ward 89); Dean Ebbe (Luke Mulligan 53).
Referee: Glen Geraghty
Treaty United moved up to second place in the table with a 3-1 win over Finn Harps.
Evan O'Connor gave the hosts the lead just before half-time but Dara McGuinness equalised two minutes after the restart.
Lee Molloy put the Limerick side back in front on 76 minutes and David Tarmey made the points safe five from time.
Treaty are only ahead of Wexford on goal difference as Stephen Elliott's side beat Bray Wanderers 2-0 thanks to a double from Mikie Rowe, the opener in first-half injury-time, and the clincher a 70th-minute penalty.
UCD earned their first point of the season thanks to an 89th-minute equaliser from Eanna Clancy after Brian Murphy had given visitors Cobh Rambers a first-half lead.
Longford Town host midland rivals Athlone Town on Saturday.
