Soccer:St Patrick's Ath 4; Drogheda Utd 1

THIS WAS finely poised for 70 minutes, but a blitzkrieg by St Patrick’s in the final 20 minutes kept their title push on track.

The opening half was full of endeavour with St Patrick’s creating the greater share of the few opportunities. Early on a poor Dave Mulcahy header back to Gary Rogers let Drogheda striker Dinny Corcoran pounce but he drove his effort wide.

The visitors upped the ante as Danny North saw his shot saved by Stephen Trimble, before he combined superbly with Ian Bermingham only for the latter to pull his shot across goal.

Ian Daly then clipped an effort over, North rapped a header off the post and then turned his marker on the edge of the box but again Trimble made the stop.

Both sides hit the target within three minutes of the restart. St Patrick’s hit the front when Bermingham raced down the left and crossed for Daryl Kavanagh who ghosted through the heart of United’s defence to score.

Drogheda equalised virtually from the restart. Tiernan Mulvenna and Philip Hand combined for the latter to send the ball through to Corcoran who curled his effort to the bottom corner.

A bold double substitution by Pete Mahon paid handsome dividends as the Inchicore outfit scored twice in five minutes.

On 71 minutes one of the replacements, Anthony Murphy, met Stephen Bradley’s free to head home, and four minutes later he crossed for North who guided his header back across goal for Derek Doyle, who in turn sent his header to the top corner.

North was then involved in another assist for Daly who too easily rattled the net from close range.

DROGHEDA: Trimble, Nolan (Hanaphy 80 mins), Hand, McNally, Ekanem, Gannon, O’Brien, Quigley, Corcoran, Mulvenna, Freeman (McNamara 77 mins).

ST PATRICK’S: Rogers, Harney, Bermingham (Carroll 64 mins), McMillan, Mulcahy (Murphy 68 mins), Bradley, McFaul, Doyle (Crowley 77 mins), Kavanagh, Daly, North.

Referee: P Tuite (Dublin).