LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION St Patrick's Ath 4 Galway Utd 2:ST PATRICK'S Athletic secured three vital Premier Division points but Galway United made it very hard for them at Richmond Park.
St Pat’s took the lead on two minutes when Derek Doyle met Vinny Faherty’s cross from deep on the right wing and fired a delightful shot into the bottom left corner of Barry Ryan’s goal.
St Pat’s enjoyed most of the possession and chances as the half progressed but found in hard to break down the Galway defence again.
On 24 minutes Dave Mulcahy for St Pat’s skipped past several challenges before finding Paul Byrne whose shot was deflected to safety. Byrne went close to putting St Pat’s two-up on 30 minutes with a close-range header but Ryan made an stunning point-blank save at the left hand post.
Galway had been improving as the half progressed and snatched two goals before the break.
They got back on level terms on 38 minutes when Anto Flood smashed a low drive past St Pat’s goalkeeper Gary Rogers following an inch-perfect pass from Karl Sheppard. Garry Curran then put Galway ahead on 45 minutes when he beat Rogers with a delightful chip from 25 yards.
St Pat’s were level on 60 minutes when Faherty got on the end of Byrne’s header and shot to Ryan’s right. Doyle pounced for his second of the night on 73 minutes with a confident finish after collecting a ball inside the area.
Doyle then secured his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 83 minutes after Brian Cash was fouled in the box by Rhys Meynell.
ST PATRICK'S ATH: Rogers; Pender, Bermingham, Kenna, Haverty (McAllister h/t); Guy (Cash 78), S Byrne, Mulcahy, Doyle; Faherty (North 80), P Byrne.
GALWAY UTD: Barry Ryan; Conneely, McKenzie, Meynell, Creaney (Sinnott 66); Bobby Ryan, Foley (O'Brien 71), Curran, O'Donnell; Flood, Sheppard.
Attendance: 1150
Referee: D Hancock(Dublin)
