Shelbourne 0 St Patrick's Ath 2:CHRISTY FAGANS refound goal touch kept St Patrick's tenuous title hopes alive. The striker hadn't scored in his previous five games and was dropped to the bench for last Friday's win at Bohemians.

But he came good last night with a stunning winner on 70 minutes. The impressive Seán O’Connor whipped over a super cross from and Fagan flashed a header to the corner of the net for his ninth league goal of the season.

Fagans substitute Vinny Faherty added St Patricks second goal four minutes into added time when beating ’keeper Chris Bennion to OConnors cross to head to the empty net.

Shelbourne finished with ten men when Anto Murphy was shown a straight red card for raising his hand to O’Connor.

In a lively start, O’Connor worked Bennion with a low drive from distance on three minutes after being gifted the ball from a defensive throw. Shelbourne were well in it, though, and Barry Clancy was then inches wide with a terrific volley from 20 yards.

But the woodwork rescued Shelbourne at the other end on 24 minutes – Darren Meenan bouncing a spectacular dipping volley onto Bennion’s crossbar. Ian Ryan then brilliantly cleared off the Shelbourne line four minutes later from O’Connor’s fierce low shot.

O’Connor remained St Patrick’s main threat and he brought a good stop from Bennion after Fagan put him in on goal six minutes into the second half.

Conan Byrne fired narrowly wide on 64 minutes as Alan Mathews’ sides enjoyed a spell of pressure before succumbing late on.

SHELBOURNE: Bennion; Ryan, Boyle, Paisley, S Byrne (P Byrne 82 mins); Murphy, Hurley, Dawson, Clancy (C Byrne, 56 mins); Cassidy; Hughes (Gorman, 67 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Murphy; O'Brien, Kenna, Browne, Carroll; Chambers, Macedo (Coombes, h-t), Bolger; O'Connor, Fagan (Faherty, 82 mins), Meenan (Forrester, 67 mins).

Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).