John Martin’s 71st-minute close-range finish sent Dundalk back to the bottom of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table as Shelbourne held onto their lead at the top with a 1-0 win at Tolka Park on Friday night.

Dundalk had selection problems before the match and, having lost goalkeeper Ross Munro in the warm-up, top scorer Jamie Gullan was forced off with injury during the first half.

Daryl Horgan had denied Evan Caffrey a goalscoring opportunity with a superbly-timed tackle before the midway point of the opening period, before Will Jarvis fluffed his lines with just 19-year-old goalkeeper Seán Molloy to beat.

Zak Johnson of Dundalk after his side conceded a first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Caffrey and substitute Liam Burt threatened either side of the half-time whistle, but a frustrated Shels eventually made the breakthrough under 20 minutes from the end when Jarvis broke into the box and provided a tap-in for Martin at the near post.

Dundalk, whose wait for an away clean-sheet will now extend past eight months, almost replied instantly but substitute Eoin Kenny struck the crossbar, with the Lilywhites unable to find a breakthrough as their poor recent record at the Drumcondra venue continued.

For the short trip to North Dublin, with Dundalk chasing a first win at Tolka Park in over four years, manager Jon Daly had made two changes to the team that beat Saint Patrick’s Athletic in a pulsating encounter in the west of the capital on Bank Holiday Monday.

Dundalk goalkeeper Sean Molloy during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Club captain John Mountney came in for Zak Bradshaw, who was on compassionate leave, while Mayowa Animasahun returned to the team in place of Cami Elliott, who was on the bench. There, he was joined by Robbie Benson, who returned to the matchday squad after injury.

Dundalk, though, were dealt a blow before kick-off when Scottish stopper Munro was injured in the warm-up, meaning that Molloy was thrown into the starting XI for his league debut. Young left-back Seán Keogh was then added to the bench.

The game – which had the Lilywhites’ 2002 FAI Cup hero Garry Haylock in attendance – saw Shelbourne start strongly as they looked to bounce back from just their third defeat of the season seven days earlier, but an early catch from Molloy helped to settle him.

Evan Caffrey of Shelbourne is tackled by Daryl Horgan of Dundalk during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Shels, despite all their possession, did not threaten the Dundalk ‘keeper but they were almost in on 20 minutes when the visitors pushed men up for a free-kick. Horgan’s delivery was cleared and allowed Shels to break through Jarvis who found Caffrey in the centre but as he drove into the box, Horgan recovered brilliantly with a well-timed tackle.

Dundalk were forced into a change in the 26th minute when Gullan, their two-goal hero in Inchicore, eventually had to call it a day having gone down a number of times. He was replaced by Elliott, as Daly’s headaches worsened with the visit of Sligo very much in the mind.

On the half-hour, Ryan O’Kane, confident after his goal earlier in the week, tried his luck from distance but the shot flew over.

Hayden Muller of Dundalk in action against John Martin of Shelbourne during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Shels should have been ahead on 35 minutes when they worked a move well and ex-Lilywhite Martin, in the ‘D’, clipped the ball into the path of Jarvis in the box but, with just Molloy to beat, he curled his effort outside the post.

On 38 minutes, Tyreke Wilson put in a teasing cross to the back post for Caffrey but he headed off target when well placed. Before the break, following a corner, Caffrey found plenty of space 25-yards from goal but he fired high and wide.

Dundalk’s best piece of play to that point came in the first of six added minutes at the end of the first half, which started with Horgan and ended with O’Kane shooting wide after the Louth men had threatened a smash-and-grab half-time lead. Then, Caffrey struck wide on the turn.

Liam Burt of Shelbourne is tackled by Robbie Benson of Dundalk during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

At the interval, there was a switch on each side, as Burt – who scored early in the second half when the sides last met at Tolka Park – replaced Mattie Smith for Shels, while Benson made his return to action for Dundalk in place of Animasahun, in a change of shape.

On 52 minutes, Burt was almost at it again against Dundalk when he played a neat one-two and then, from outside the area, unleashed a strike that flew just past the top corner. Three minutes later, JJ Lunney’s good pass picked out Caffrey but his first-time shot went into the side-netting.

On 62 minutes, Kenny, in the middle of his Leaving Certificate exams, was introduced for Hayden Muller, before Shelbourne made a double substitution soon after. Five minutes after coming on, Kenny got into the area and cut inside Lunney before drilling into the side-netting.

John Martin of Shelbourne scores his side’s first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

On 71 minutes, Dundalk’s resistance was broken as Shelbourne took the lead. Jarvis rounded Davies at the by-line and squared into the six-yard box for Martin who beat Mountney to the ball and bundled it into the corner of the net.

Four minutes later, Dundalk almost responded from a Davies throw-in down the right from which Horgan teed up Kenny and his rising strike agonisingly hit the crossbar.

On 84 minutes, Mountney’s cross – from an almost identical position to where he provided an assist in this fixture earlier in the season – was met by Elliott but a powerful header just lacked the accuracy to trouble ‘keeper Conor Kearns.

Paul Doyle of Dundalk reacts at the final whistle after his side’s defeat in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Dundalk at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

That would prove to be Dundalk’s last threat as they fell to a narrow defeat which, coupled with Drogheda United’s scoreless draw at home to eighth-placed St Pat’s, saw the Oriel Park outfit drop back to the foot of the standings on goal difference.

SHELBOURNE: Conor Kearns, Seán Gannon, Paddy Barrett, Gavin Molloy, Tyreke Wilson, JJ Lunney, Mark Coyle (John O’Sullivan 65), Mattie Smith (Liam Burt HT), Evan Caffrey (Dean Williams 65), Will Jarvis (Kameron Ledwidge 81), John Martin (Shane Farrell 85). Subs not used: Lorcan Healy (GK), Shane Griffin, Jad Hakiki, Keith Ward.

DUNDALK FC: Seán Molloy, Archie Davies, Zak Johnson, Andy Boyle, Mayowa Animasahun (Robbie Benson HT), John Mountney, Ryan O’Kane (Sam Durrant 76), Paul Doyle, Hayden Muller (Eoin Kenny 62), Daryl Horgan, Jamie Gullan (Cami Elliott 26). Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (GK), Jamie Walker, Luke Mulligan, Seán Keogh.

REFEREE: Damien MacGraith.