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O'Connor provides the sparkle

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION/St Patrick’s Ath 1 Dundalk 0: GARETH O’CONNOR thankfully provided the much-needed sparkle…

Mon Aug 03 2009 - 01:00

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION/St Patrick's Ath 1 Dundalk 0:GARETH O'CONNOR thankfully provided the much-needed sparkle to give St Patrick's a hat-trick of wins over Dundalk last night.

Heading off on their marathon trip to the Russian City of Samara today ahead of Thursday’s Europa League return with Krylya Sovetov, Jeff Kenna’s side needed to follow-up last week’s thrilling first leg win with a league victory to ease themselves away from the relegation zone.

Midfielder O’Connor duly delivered to cap a hard-working display on 74 minutes to give the game the goal it so desperately needed.

Allowing Bobby Ryan’s diagonal pass to run across his body, O’Connor ran onto the ball and unleashed a terrific right-foot drive from 20 yards that flew into the top left corner of Peter Cherrie’s net.

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Glen Fitzpatrick might have doubled the St Patrick’s winning margin three minutes from time with an agile turn from Ryan’s pass, but Cherrie saved.

Perhaps still on a high from their fine win on Thursday night, St Patrick’s were caught dozing from the kick-off and ought to have been a goal down after just 30 seconds.

Chris Turner slipped Alex Williams in on goal and the Dundalk striker, who’d scored three goals in their previous two games, was a little too casual as Gary Rogers stood up well to save his tame effort with his feet.

If that was a bad miss, Fitzpatrick was just as guilty at the other end on 28 minutes.

Ryan Guy’s challenge on Simon Kelly forced the Dundalk defender into a weak headed clearance from Ryan’s cross and Fitzpatrick, despite having all the time he should have needed, volleyed over the bar.

St Patrick’s continued to enjoy all the possession in the second-half, but really struggled to create anything.

Guy flicked a header wide from Gary Dempsey’s dinked ball into the box. The little Californian then failed to reach the ball after Michael McGowan missed substitute Stuart Byrne’s cross into the area before O’Connor’s intervention.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Gavin, Harris, Partridge, Stevens; Guy, Lynch (Cawley, 68 mins), Dempsey (Byrne, 65 mins), O’Connor, B Ryan; Fitzpatrick (Leech, 88 mins).

DUNDALK: Cherrie; McGowan, Heary, Burns, Kelly; Mulvenna, Collins, Turner, McKinley (Mansaram, 58 mins); Rowe, Williams.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).