St Patrick's Athletic 4 Longford Town 2:Having scored in his first competitive start for the hosts and done enough to suggest he has the ability to make a real impact at Richmond Park, Michael Keane mentioned after this win it was the family nature of St Patrick's Athletic that had played a key part in persuading him his future lay in Inchicore.

Families, though, have their squabbles and when returning son Trevor Croly, now a coach with Longford, took umbrage at the way in which John McDonnell suggested that perhaps the middle of the goal area four days before a Uefa Cup game wasn't the best place to have players warming down, the afternoon ended with the sort of one that would normally prompt the neighbours to turn the stereo up. When the pair subsequently returned to the dressingroom area it briefly threatened to become a good deal more than a shouting match.

It was an odd ending to an eventful day yesterday. St Patrick's scored four goals and deservedly won the game to move back to within a point of Drogheda at the top of the table, all of which McDonnell was understandably happy with. Two of his new signings, though, picked up injuries with Keith Barker (groin) departing at half-time and Keane (shin) lasting until a few minutes before the end. Both are expected to be okay by Thursday and if the same could be said with any certainty of the home side's defending at set-pieces then they should be capable of testing Odense.

The Danes had their assistant trainer, Michael Hemmingsen, at the game although he may have reckoned he'd seen enough by the break as there was no sign of him around the directors' box during an eventful second half that produced five of the six goals.

It started with the home side doubling their lead, then twice threatening to squander it despite a fine first goal for the club by Ryan Guy and a late strike by Alan Kirby.

The first three goals of the game owed a good deal to poor defending with Michael Keane bundling a Dave Rogers cross home unchallenged 12 minutes in.

Anto Murphy popped up unmarked at the far post to head a corner just inside the post six minutes after the interval and Longford's David Mooney pulled one back after challenging Barry Ryan who fumbled his attempt to take down Mark Rutherford's cross inside the six yard box.

After that both sides produced a bit of quality with Guy restoring the St Patrick's two-goal advantage, steering a nicely weighted Fahey ball past Seamus Kelly and Pat Sullivan then beating Ryan with a curling free kick.

It was spirited stuff from the visitors and encouraging from Odense's point of view if their man was still around to witness it. But having also gone close a couple of times between their two goals, Longford never really threatened to grab a third.

Fitter and stronger looking over the closing stages, the Dubliners continued to harry their opponents through the closing minutes and were rewarded when a poor pass under pressure gave them possession in midfield from where they worked the ball up to Kirby whose finish, though apparently miscued, bobbled over the line to wrap up the win.

"We did okay for spells and did well to score twice but it's frustrating to have lost again, to be losing week after week," said disappointed Longford manager Alan Mathews.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Ryan; A Murphy, Maguire, Paisley, Rogers; Fahey, Gibson (Brennan, 76 mins), Keane (P Murphy, 87 mins), Kirby; Barker (Guy, half-time), M Quigley.

LONGFORD TOWN: Kelly; Sullivan, Brennan, Ryan, Prunty; Duffy (Reilly, 67 mins), Deegan, Doyle (Martin, 60 mins), Rutherford (Wexler, 92 mins); Mooney, Freeman.

Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).