Soccer

St Patrick’s Athletic keep up title chase by adding to Sligo woes

Chris Forrester scores twice as Liam Buckley’s side keep heat on Premier Division leaders

Jamie McGrath scores St Patrick’s Athletic’s second goal during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Jamie McGrath scores St Patrick’s Athletic’s second goal during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Fri Jul 24 2015 - 22:44

Sligo Rovers 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 3

St Patrick's Athletic served a timely reminder to Dundalk and Cork City that they were still in the title race after a deserved win at the Showgrounds that added to Sligo Rovers' woes .

Chris Forrester scored twice and Jamie McGrath was also on the mark in the second half, as Liam Buckley's side pulled to within four points of second spot.

Killian Brennan twice hit the woodwork from deadball efforts, firstly when Jamie McGrath was fouled by Alan Keane wide on the right on 16 minutes, and Brennan hit the crossbar from the resultant free.

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The visitors always looked a threat, and when Forrester robbed Keith Ward on the halfway line, Pat's broke quickly, and Ward gave away a free on the edge of the box.

Brennan stepped up but saw his effort smack back out once again, this time off the post.

Gavin Peers made a superb sliding challenge to prevent Aaron Greene from pulling the trigger when Forrester found him in space on the hour-mark, but the home side failed to deal with the corner that followed, and Brennan robbed Ruairi Keating before setting up Forrester to fire low and hard through a packed box and under Brush.

Second goal

The second arrived 10 minutes later, as McGrath created some space for himself on the right, and drove the ball across Brush and into the bottom corner. And they claimed their third in the closing stages as St Patrick’s countered from a Rovers corner, and Byrne fed Forrester to tap home.

SLIGO: Brush, Keane, Peers, Cretaro, Boylan, Ledwith (McManus 64 mins), Cawley, Puri (Keating 45+1 mins), Ward, Armstrong, Flatley (Dykes 56 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Clarke, O'Brien, McGuinness (Morris 45+3 mins), Desmond, Bermingham, Byrne, Chambers, Brennan (Langley 76 mins), Forrester (Verdon 87 mins), Greene, McGrath.

Referee: G Kelly.