Soccer

Airtricity League round-up: St Patrick’s Athletic too strong for Bohemians as they keep European hopes alive

Ryan Graydon’s stoppage-time winner at Tolka Park puts Derry City back in second; Sligo Rovers dent Dundalk’s title hopes

St Patrick's Athletic fans celebrate Barry Cotter’s goal during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against Bohemians at Dalymount Park. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Mon Aug 29 2022 - 22:11

Bohemians 1 St Patrick’s Athletic 3

Fourth-place St Patrick’s Athletic maintained their push for European football in 2023 with a two-goal triumph over Dublin rivals Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Monday night.

Having posed an early threat on the Bohs goal, Pat’s opened the scoring in the eighth minute. At the end of a superb run from deep, Barry Cotter – on loan from top-flight leaders Shamrock Rovers – unleashed a left-footed shot that smashed off the face of opposition player Kris Twardek on its way into the net.

This fortuitous effort looked like being the difference at the break, until the Saints doubled their lead in stoppage-time after Serge Atakayi picked out Chris Forrester for a clinical finish to the bottom left-hand corner.

READ MORE

[ Premier Division table ]

While this left Bohs in an ominous position, they received a lifeline just past the hour mark. A goalscorer in last year’s FAI Cup final defeat to Pat’s, former Saints defender Rory Feely climbed highest to head home an Ali Coote corner from the right-hand side.

This injected fresh life into the Gypsies challenge, but in a desperate search for an equaliser their Inchicore counterparts hit them on the break and Adam O’Reilly displayed great composure in slotting home an 89th-minute insurance goal.

BOHEMIANS: McCracken; Feely, Kerr (Doherty, 46 mins), Kelly, Wilson; McManus, O’Sullivan (Coote, 57 mins); Twardek (Mullins, 77 mins), Burt, McDaid (Clarke, 57 mins); Varian.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; S Curtis, Brockbank, Redmond; Cotter, O’Reilly, Forrester, Lennon (McClelland, 92 mins), Breslin; Doyle (Owolabi, 85 mins), Atakayi (King, 90 mins).

Shelbourne 0 Derry City 1

Ryan Graydon scored a stoppage-time winner to lift Derry City back up to second place in the Premier Division table as Shelbourne’s dogged defence just couldn’t hold out at Tolka Park.

With goalkeeper Brendan Clarke inspired and his rearguard holding solid, Damien Duff’s Dubliners looked like they would earn a battling point.

But with the watch into the 91st minute, Derry skipper Patrick McEleney threaded a ball through for the run of winger Graydon whose drive took a cruel deflection off Shelbourne captain Luke Byrne to finally beat the wrong-footed Clarke.

In a game that ebbed and flowed from start to finish, Derry might have been ahead after just 15 seconds.

Getting the ball immediately into the Shels box from the kick off, Brandon Kavanagh laid it off for McEleney who curled his shot wide.

The ball was in the Shelbourne net on 10 minutes but Joe Thomson’s effort was flagged offside.

Shelbourne played their way into the game and finished the first half the stronger.

JJ Lunney worked Brian Maher with a drilled shot before a dreadful challenge on the Reds midfielder by Derry midfielder Sadou Diallo should have received more than just a yellow card.

Derry striker James Akintude wasted a gilt-edged chance three minutes after the break when shooting straight at Clarke.

And while Shelbourne regained some initiative with Gavin Molloy and Jack Moylan having efforts on goal, Michael Duffy’s introduction gave Derry impetus as they soon forced two terrific saves from Clarke.

First the Shelbourne goalkeeper tipped over a speculative shot from McEleney before saving bravely at the feet of Akintunde.

And Clarke was there again to save the blushes of Gavin Molloy on 75 minutes.

A loose pass sent Graydon galloping through on goal to be stopped by a combination of Clarke and Byrne before his luck held for the winner at the death.

Shelbourne striker Seán Boyd was shown a red card after the final whistle.

SHELBOURNE: Clarke; Griffin, Byrne, Ledwidge; Lunney (Hakiki, 76 mins), Molloy; Farrell, McManus (Dervin, 67 mins), Kane; Moylan (Hodgins, 85 mins), Boyd.

DERRY CITY: Maher; Dummigan, S. McEleney, McJannet, Coll; Diallo, P. McEleney;  Graydon (Lafferty, 90+3 mins), Thomson (Boyle, 60 mins), Akintunde (Kavanagh, 78 mins); Kavanagh (Duffy, 60 mins).

Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).

Sligo Rovers 2 Dundalk 0

Dundalk’s diminishing title hopes took a big hit at the Showgrounds as they lost 2-0 to Sligo Rovers.

Stephen O’Donnell’s side were somewhat the architects of their own downfall as an early red card and a second half own goal proved costly.

And though it took the home side over 30 minutes to take advantage of their numerical superiority, a late second goal by the influential Frank Liivak ensured they would take the three points that keeps alive their slim hopes of qualifying for European football once more.

Liivak was also a key figure in the early sending-off, after he broke on to Aidan Keena’s release, and was taken down by Darragh Leahy on 23 minutes.

He was a long way from goal, but Leahy was adjudged to have denied him a goalscoring opportunity, and was promptly shown red.

Dundalk introduced Sam Bone in a reshuffle and kept the home side at bay until the opener eventually arrived just before the hour-mark.

Keena was again instrumental – twice going close to scoring before the unfortunate Andy Boyle saw Will Fitzgerald’s cross deflect into the net.

Liivak wrapped it up with the second on 83 minutes, with Keena again the provider.

SLIGO: McNicholas, Banks, Blaney (Evans, 39 mins), Pijnaker, Kirk, Bolger (Morahan, 78 mins), Burton (Barlow, 78 mins), McDonnell (Mata, 58 mins), Fitzgerald, Liivak, Keena.

DUNDALK: Shepperd, Macari, Boyle, Lewis, Leahy, Martin (Bone, 30 mins), Sloggett (McMillan, 65 mins), Bradley (Benson, 65 mins), Adams (Ward, 80 mins), Mountney (Hauge, 80 mins), O’Kane.

Referee: R Matthews.