Visitors, GMIT failed to take advantage of a strong first-half breeze and, despite dominating the midfield exchanges during that period, only turned around with a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Aidan Kilcoyne was the Connacht college's chief attacking threat as he helped himself to three points, but eight first-half wides would come back to haunt his side by the finish.

GMIT moved further clear after the break as Niall Darby and Kilcoyne grabbed a point apiece, but Dundalk found their range to kick 2-3 without reply during an excellent 10-minute spell. Kilcoyne picked up two yellow cards in as many minutes to reduce GMIT to 14 men, but they responded with four points to close the gap to a point at the end of normal-time.

The visitors then kicked two wides in injury-time before Shane Coyle earned DKIT a second-round clash with Maynooth next Wednesday.

DKIT: D Nolan; R McNally, A Clark, R Brennan; G McEneaney A White, B Donnelly; R Ruddy, W Reilly (1-0); S Coyle (0-2), JB Reilly, P Young (1-0); K McDonnell, D Crilly (0-3, all frees), P Smith. Subs: D Hughes for Ruddy (43 mins); A Farrell (0-1, free) for Crilly (44 mins); C Sheridan for G McEneaney.

GMIT: R Cullen; J Varley, S Walsh, B Darby (0-1); P McGinley, S Peadar, T Cunniffe; A Geraghty, T Hughes; N Darby (0-4, three frees), B Lee (0-2), G Higgins; J Hayes, A Kilcoyne (0-3, one free), M Conroy. Subs: S McCormack for Higgins (48 mins); J McGrath for Varley (55).

Referee: P Hughes (Armagh).