Soccer

Confident St Patrick’s see off 10-man Galway

Conan Byrne brace and Chris Forrester’s tenth goal of the season the difference

St. Pats’ Conan Byrne celebrates scoring a penalty for their second goal of the game with Killian Brennan and James Chambers. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Fri Jul 31 2015 - 22:41

St. Patrick’s Athletic 3 Galway United 1

Chris Forrester scored again, with Conan Byrne rowing in with a brace, as St Patrick’s laboured to a seventh straight league win in seeing off 10-man Galway at Richmond Park on Friday night.

Brimful of confidence, with 17 goals in their previous six wins, St Patrick’s carved Galway open all too easily to take an eighth-minute lead.

Killian Brennan swept a diagonal ball wide right to Byrne who slipped past Colm Horgan to cross low to give Forrester the simplest of finishes for his 10th league goal of the season.

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If that was easy on the eye for the home faithful they won’t have liked what they saw as Galway equalised just as easily within three minutes. Stephen Walsh’s through ball caught St Patrick’s square for the run of Jake Keegan who confidently sidefooted past Brendan Clarke to the net.

Normal service resumed at the other end as St Patrick’s bombarded the visitors’ goal with a string of chances.

Off target

Brennan and James Chambers had long-range shots deflected off target before Galway keeper Conor Winn was forced into stops from Byrne, twice, and Jamie McGrath.

Remaining loose and uncertain at the back, though, Liam Buckley’s side had a let-off on 35 minutes. Gary Shanahan’s sublime deep cross was met by Keegan whose header was narrowly wide of the far post.

The busy Winn kept Galway level at half-time with a fine double save from Byrne and Brennan two minutes before the break, but cost his side dearly 10 minutes into the second half. The keeper’s poor attempted clearance struck Byrne and he then pushed the St Patrick’s winger to the ground.

Referee Rob Harvey pointed to the spot and gave Winn a straight red card. Byrne drove the penalty to the net past replacement keeper Ger Hanley.

The visitors got men behind the ball as the home didn‘t come close to extending their lead until the 84th minute when substitute Sam Verdon brought a decent save from Hanley with a shot from distance.

St Patrick’s finally added a third goal a minute into added time when Byrne’s angled drive found the net.

St. Patrick's Athletic: Clarke; O'Brien, McEleney, Desmond, Bermingham; Chambers; Forrester (Verdon, 81), Brennan (Morris, 81); Byrne, McGrath, Greene (Langley, 87).

Galway United: Winn; Raftery, Cantwell, Oji, Horgan; Shanahan, Byrne, Sinnott (O'Leary, 79), Keegan (Melday, 90+4); Walsh, Cunningham (Hanley, 56).

Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).