LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION Shamrock Rovers 1 St Patrick's Athletic 0: ANOTHER LARGE crowd at Tallaght Stadium were left in raptures as Gary Twigg's 19th league goal of the season blew the title race wide open.
With Bohemians imploding at Dalymount as they slumped to a second successive defeat with nine men, Rovers took full advantage to narrow the lead on the champions to a solitary point.
That should set up a tantalising last league meeting of the season between the two arch-rivals at Tallaght Stadium on October 2.
With the majority of another 5,000 crowd roaring them on, Rovers looked to start well and winger Sean O’Connor’s trickery brought the first opening on 17 minutes.
Defenders Ryan Guy and Enda Stevens were left floundering as O’Connor cut in to unleash a shot from the edge of the area that came back off Gary Rogers’ crossbar.
The game was transformed as a dramatic five minutes unfolded midway through the half. A raucous roar erupted from the Rovers faithful in the new east stand as news filtered through that Bohemians, already down to ten men, had fallen behind to Bray Wanderers at Dalymount.
Then striker Twigg’s sheer perseverance brought put Rovers in front after 29 minutes. Racing onto skipper Stephen Rice’s through ball, Twigg held off a couple of defenders before Damian Lynch upended him inside the area.
As he was last man, Lynch was immediately shown a straight red card by referee Derek Tomney. Twigg blasted the penalty straight down the middle into the net.
It came close to being 2-0 on 36 minutes. Dessie Baker flicked Ian Bermingham’s cross on to O’Connor whose drive curled just wide of the post. But the visitors almost equalised with their first shot on target after 48 minutes.
Declan O’Brien’s cross in from the right wasn’t defended and Dave Partridge’s shot brought the a fine save from Barry Murphy.
St Patrick’s continued to push forward and O’Brien sliced woefully off target on 59 minutes from Guy’s cross. Stevens then burst forward from left back on 70 minutes to bring another terrific stop from Murphy with a low drive.
From Alan Cawley’s resultant corner, Jason Gavin headed just over the top. But Rovers survived and substitute Graham Barrett, on his home debut, did well to set up Rice whose 25-yard drive was deflected for a corner.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Flynn, Sives, Price (Robinson, 68 mins), Bermingham; O'Connor (Chisholm, 87 mins), Bradley, Rice, Cahill; Twigg (Barrett, 71 mins), Baker.
ST PATRICK'S ATH: Rogers; Lynch, Gavin, Partridge, Stevens; O'Connor, Cawley (Dempsey, 75 mins), Byrne, Guy; O'Brien, Quigley.
Referee: Derek Tomney(Dublin).
