Patrick Hoban wrote his name into the Dundalk FC history books with a hat-trick that equalled Joey Donnelly's all-time scoring record for club as the Lilywhites overcame an early scare to comfortably see off UCD at Oriel Park.Stephen O’Donnell’s side were left shell shocked when the basement club took a 7th minute lead through Jake Doyle.However, Hoban ensured this would be no banana skin with a brilliant treble and the assist for Daniel Kelly’s goal that made it 2-1 just before half-time as the Louth men claimed their first win in five games.The home side almost hit the front after just 53 seconds when Darragh Leahy got on the end of Ryan O’Kane’s free kick but he couldn’t keep his header down as it flashed just over.Kelly then forced a low stop from Kian Moore before the Students took a shock lead on seven minutes.A short header back by Andy Boyle was seized upon by Doyle, who rounded Nathan Shepperd before slotting to the bottom right hand corner despite Louie Annesley’s presence on the line.Dundalk went in immediate search of an equaliser and almost found it on 13 minutes when Leahy got on the end of another O’Kane set piece - this time flicking his corner just over.Johannes Yli-Kokko was then denied by Moore before winning his side a penalty on 23 minutes when he was caught in the follow through of Alex Nolan’s attempt to clear.
Hoban, who was denied from the spot by Lorcan Healy when these sides drew 1-1 at Oriel Park on the opening night, then stepped up to send Moore the wrong way with a cool finish to the bottom right hand corner.Kelly, starting his first back-to-back matches since last July, then had two chances in quick succession to put the home side ahead but fired wide from Cameron Elliott’s lay off on 25