Champions League: Dundalk 0-2 Legia Warsaw

Aleksandar Prijovic's late goal looks to be a hammer blow to Dundalk's hope of progressing in the Champions League

Dundalk's hopes of becoming the first Irish club to make the Champions League group stage look remote after defeat by Legia Warsaw in Dublin.

Nemanja Nikolic's 56th-minute penalty at a rain-soaked Aviva Stadium put the Poles ahead before Aleksandar Prijovic doubled the lead in injury-time.

Prijovic's 94th-minute second after breaking free leaves Dundalk up against it in Tuesday's return leg in Warsaw.

League of Ireland side Dundalk had looked composed before conceding.

Dundalk - the club that came from nowhere

Andy Boyle was penalised for the spot kick as he attempted to block a Steeven Langil shot after Nikolic had rounded Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers.

It looked a harsh decision but worse was to follow for Dundalk with virtually the last kick of the game as substitute Prijovic broke free to lift the ball over Rogers.

The Irish champions have already banked more than £4m for their European exploits although a place in the Champions League group stage would yield around £8m more for a Dundalk side who picked up £92,500 for retaining the League of Ireland title last season.

Dundalk do have the safety net of a Europa League group-stage spot even if they fail to overcome the Polish champions.

Ronan Finn and his Dundalk team-mates will face a huge task in Warsaw next Tuesday

Penalty key moment as Poles take control of tie

In front of more than 30,000 spectators, Dundalk started brightly with the lively former Derry City player Patrick McEleney heading over the best first-half chance in the second minute.

Legia struggled for fluency in the first period with Michal Kuchararczyk's 25th-minute half-volley - which flashed just wide - their only real attempt at goal.

Dundalk continued to look the more enterprising side immediately after the restart as Sean Gannon headed straight at Arkadiusz Malarz and Daryl Horgan fired straight at the Legia keeper.

But against the run of play, Legia were ahead on 56 minutes as Nikolic sent Rogers the wrong way from the penalty spot after Langil's shot had cannoned off Boyle's trailing right arm.

Buoyed by the goal, Legia took control with Kuchararczyk twice going close but Dundalk rallied late on as substitute Ciaran Kilduff blasted over with only two minutes left.

A 1-0 deficit would have seen Dundalk going to Warsaw believing that the tie was not beyond them, but after Prijovic netted in the fourth minute of injury-time as the Irish side did not even have the opportunity to kick-off again.

Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny was furious with the decision to award Legia a penalty

What they said

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny: "It's a really appalling (penalty) decision to swing the game.

"Andy Boyle has thrown himself at it to try and block it - brave defender that he is.

"His hand is not in an unnatural position - his arm is close to his body, so it's certainly not a penalty.

"We were the better team up to that and there was no way we deserved to lose that game 2-0."

Legia Warsaw coach Besnik Hasi: "I'm really pleased we didn't concede. We scored two and could've scored more."

Ciaran Kilduff (right) missed a Dundalk chance just before Legia Warsaw's crucial second goal

The game didn't really catch fire for the most part although a number of Legia Warsaw fans did light flares