Galway United a distant second-best in Oriel Park defeat
Walsh scores spectacular 90th minute effort but damage had already been done by then
Two goals in a three-minute spell near the end of the game saw Dundalk claim a thoroughly deserved 2-1 win over a Galway United side that was clearly second best in Oriel Park on Friday night.
The home side dominated both possession and territory from the first whistle, but a combination of poor finishing and some decent goalkeeping by Evan Watts kept them at bay for the first 81 minutes.
At that stage it looked like they might hold on for a point, especially as after creating a couple of half-chances of their own, but Dundalk substitute Declan McDaid had other ideas, scoring almost identical goals in the 81st and 84th minutes to clinch the win.
Stephen Walsh hope with a spectacular effort in the 90th minute to halve the deficit, and with five minutes of injury time signalled, there was some nerves amongst the home fans, but the Tribesmen couldn't carve out another opening as the Lilywhites claimed the win.
The home side were on top in the opening stages, and had a couple of early sighters of Evan Watts' goal, but the first was a flicked header that was well wide, and the second a weak header straight at the United keeper.
The main thrust of their attacking threat was coming through Daryl Horgan down their left flank, and he delivered a pin-point cross for Ronan Teahan in the 8th minute, whose header had Watts scrambling across his goal, but the ball went inches wide.
Watts was called into action two minutes later, pulling off a brilliant finger-tip save to push away a Horgan shot that was destined for the top-corner after the Galway native came in off the wing before curling a shot towards the far corner from 25 yards out.
United just couldn't get any kind of sustained period of possession, coming off a distant second-best in the midfield battle, as Horgan continued to send delivery after delivery into the United penalty area from in the shadow of the main stand: a clear tactic, with Dundalk having spent a good five minutes of their warm-up with the former Republic of Ireland international sending in crosses for their front three to attack.
United finally had an effort on goal in the 22nd minute, and it was on target as well, though Lee Devitt got under his header after Gianfranco Facchinieri flicked-on an Ed McCarthy long throw, and Enda Minogue gathered comfortably.
United were wearing their new black and purple strip produced in memory of their late assistant manager, Ollie Horgan, and he would have been impressed with the workrate of the visitors, but would also have acknowledged the effort put in by the home side, who were constantly closing down options on the rare times United did have the ball.
Horgan and Tyreke Wilson combined on the half-hour mark to do just that, turning over possession and allowing Horgan send in yet another cross. Watts came to claim but failed to gather, the ball bouncing off his hands and onto the crossbar before falling for Bobby Burns, but the former United man's backheel at the back-post was blocked for a corner.
A minute later, Dave Hurley and Aaron Bolger collided just inside the United half, a clash serious enough to warrant the Dundalk physio Pat Levins to race on and assist United's medical man Richard Grier with treatment, but thankfully both players were able to continue.
What also continued was Dundalk's dominance, though United's weren't doing themselves any favours, both Hurley and Gianfranco Facchinieri failing to clear their lines in the 40th minute, the ball eventually breaking for Horgan whose effort from the edge of the box was straight at Watts.
United had a rare attack of note a minute later, Bolger crossing to the back post where McCarthy was lurking, but his shot was deflected out for a corner, and you got the feeling United were relieved to get to the break on level terms.
United's last game was also in Louth, when they came from 2-0 down to beat Drogheda United 3-2. They were well off the pace in the first-half of that game as well, and John Caulfield reacted by making a double substitution at half-time.
he resisted what must have been gnawing temptation to do the same here, but after an opening 10 minutes of dominance from Dundalk, he introduced Stephen Walsh and Connor Barratt for Frantz Pierrot and Mattie Wolfe respectively.
The improvement was marginal however, and the home side really should have taken the lead just after the hour mark when JR Wilson put Eoin Kenny away down the right. The son of St Pat's manager, Stephen, lofted a cross into the box which the unmarked Gbemi Arubi met six yards out, but he directed a weak head straight at a grateful Watts.
They came even closer three minutes later when Arubi worked space before sliding a pass wide to Tyreke Wilson on the left. He drilled a low cross which fell for the unmarked Horgan, but he somehow managed to hit the crossbar form no more than five yards out.
United were like a punch-drunk boxer leaning on the ropes for dear life as it seemed only a matter of time before the breakthrough would come. It almost did, and at the other end, Hurley latching on to a knock-down from McCarthy, but his first-time volley from 20 yards flew wide.
Walsh then saw a spectacular scissors-kick blocked for a corner in the 72nd minutes as United started to get a bit of traction in the game.
Axel Piesold won a turnover midway inside the Dundalk half and played it wide for Kris Twardek, but his searching cross to the back post was overhit; while Minogue was out smartly to smother the ball at the feet of Walsh after Arthur Parker's 50-yard run and pass had created the opening.
It proved to be a false dawn, however, as the home side took a deserved lead in the 81st minute. Tyreke Wilson played a one-two with Horgan, the United defence falling asleep and not tracking Wilson's give-and-go run into the box, leaving him with time to fire a ball a cross the six yard box, and Declan McDaid slid in to steer the ball home with what was his first touch, having been introduced as a substitute eight minutes earlier.
The home side clearly loved the move as they repeated the trick three minutes later for a second goals to give a more realistic look to the scoreline.
This time it was another sub, Harry Groome, who was played in on the left by Horgan, but the outcome was the same: drilled cross to the back post, a waiting McDaid to force it home. Game over, with Walsh's late act of defiance at least giving United fans something to talk about on the long spin home.
Dundalk: Minogue; JR Wilson, Animasahun, Warren, T Wilson; Buckley, Burns (Groome 73), Horgan; Teahan (inj, Tracey 67), Kenny (McDaid 73); Arubi.
Galway United: Watts; Parker, Facchinieri, Brouder, Devitt (Williams 87); Hurley, Bolger (Piesold 72); Twardek, Wolfe (Barratt 55), McCarthy (Lomboto 87); Pierrot (Walsh 55).
Referee: Daryl Carolan.