St Patrick’s Athletic 3 Bohemians 1
Strikes early in each half from Serge Atakayi and Mark Doyle, and a late cameo from Tunde Owolabi, maintained St Patrick’s Athletic’s quest for Europe as they made it a hat-trick of wins over cross-city rivals Bohemians at a packed Richmond Park.
With Dundalk winning at Finn Harps it’s as you were in the table, Tim Clancy’s Inchicore side remaining a point behind in fourth place.
St Patrick’s winning the side’s last meeting at Dalymount Park in August signalled the end of Keith Long’s eight-year tenure in charge of Bohemians.
And with new manager Declan Devine watching on, ahead of taking formal charge on Monday, Bohemians’ bright start counted for nothing as they were behind from a lightning counterattack on seven minutes.
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Eoin Doyle’s flicked header found the run of winger Atakayi, who breezed past Rory Feely before drilling his shot to the net through the legs a hesitant Tadhg Ryan
The visitors proved less clinical when wasting an equalising chance six minutes later when James Clarke’s tenacious run teed up Declan McDaid who skied over the top.
Though St Patrick’s looked the more threatening when they got forward, Bohemians continued to enjoy a good deal of the ball as they worked hard to play their way into the game.
A foul by Sam Curtis on Ethon Varian soon brought Bohemians another sight of goal, Clarke’s free-kick deflected out for a corner off Chris Forrester.
Ryan was central to drama at the other end as half-time approached, tipping over a drive from Barry Cotter despite needing lengthy treatment for a hand injury minutes before.
But Ryan was picking the ball out of his net for a second time three minutes after half-time.
Jordan Doherty failed to cut out Forrester’s through ball and Mark Doyle, a half-time substitute, skipped in to shoot home off the far post.
The frame of the Bohemians goal was rattled again on 55 minutes, Forrester’s free-kick shaving the top of Ryan’s crossbar.
Midfielder James Clarke, comfortably Bohemians best player on the night, brought their consolation when curling home the goal of the game on 83 minutes.
Despite their vain appeals for a foul on Adam O’Reilly in the build-up to that, St Patrick’s restored their two-goal winning margin within three minutes.
Substitute Owolabi was allowed a run on goal before his, albeit powerful, low shot beat Ryan all too easily.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Brockbank (M. Doyle, h-t), Redmond, Curtis; Cotter, O’Reilly, Lennon (Timmermans, 15), Breslin; Forrester, E. Doyle (Owolabi, 79), Atakayi (King, 65).
BOHEMIANS: Ryan; Doherty, Feely, Kelly, Murphy; Levingston (Mullins, 64), McManus; Twardek, Clarke, McDaid (Lotefa, 64); Varion.
Referee: Adriano Reale (Kildare).
Attendance: 5,106.
Finn Harps 1 Dundalk 2
A Lewis Macari strike and an own goal from Rob Slevin, both in the first half, paved the way for a Dundalk victory over relegation threatened Finn Harps to keep the Lilywhites in third spot.
Although Harps substitute Rob Jones pulled one back in the 86th minute to set up a pulsating finish, Dundalk held on for a vital win that keeps Stephen O’Donnell’s side a point ahead of the Saints with just three games to play.
Harps remain second bottom, ahead of UCD on goal difference, but the students now have a game in hand – which could be crucial in determining who goes down at the end of the campaign.
Dundalk took the lead in the 19th minute with a speculative Macari lob from the edge of the box looped over goalkeeper James McKeown. And despite the best efforts of Barry McNamee on the line he was unable to prevent the ball sneaking in just under the bar.
Darragh Leahy forced McKeown into making a top-drawer reflex save before Dundalk struck again on 43 minutes with Ryan O’Kane providing the cross, and although David McMillan’s initial shot was well stopped by McKeown, in the follow-up the ball appeared to go off defender Slevin and into the net.
It was a much more even second half and Harps went close to pulling one back on 74 minutes when substitute Rob Jones saw his glancing head flash outside the post and wide.
Filip Mihaljevic forced Nathan Shepperd into making a decent save at the expense of a corner in the 86th minute, from which Jones rose to head home. But despite their best efforts, Harps were unable to salvage a point.
President Michael D Higgins was among those in attendance – having been in Donegal to express his sympathy and to attend a number of the funerals following the tragedy in the Donegal village of Creeslough last week when10 people lost their lives in an explosion.
Indeed, there was a minute’s silence at the start of the game, and the names of those who died were on a sombre front cover of the match programme.
FINN HARPS: McKeown; Boylan, Tourish, Slevin, Donelan; Rainey (Nicholson, 80 mins), Nzeyi (Mihaljevic, h-t), Connolly, McNamee; Saij (Jones, 67 mins), Duncan (Timlin, 77 mins).
DUNDALK: Shepperd; Mountney, Macari, Boyle, Leahy; Lewis, Bone; Hauge (Benson, 64 mins), Adams, O’Kane; McMillan (Martin, 75 mins)
Referee: P McLaughlin (Monaghan)
