St Patrick’s Athletic 3-3 Longford Town
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC missed the chance to close the gap on fourth-place Derry City as they were held to a 3-3 draw by Longford Town in a thriller at Richmond Park tonight.
Tony Cousins’ side had conceded 11 goals in four games leading into the game in Inchicore and their defending was again an issue as Pat’s came from behind three times in an action-packed second half.
Pat’s started on the front foot as they looked to improve on their indifferent home record this season.
They at times had a monopoly of possession in midfield, and Shane McEleney and David Cawley were afforded the room to find their full-backs getting forward as Ger O’Brien in particular was given the freedom of Richmond Park’s right wing.
Longford did have the ball in the back of the net on 11 minutes as Kaleem Simon’s miscued effort fell to Lee Duffy who slotted a neat finish into the top corner but he was adjudged to have been offside.
Midway through the half, Longford broke on the counter attack and Simon’s effort was handled by Darren Dennehy on the edge of his own area after a mistake by Sean Hoare. Simon’s resulting free-kick from 18 yards went straight into the wall as he went for power over accuracy.
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Pat’s came closest to an opening goal on 37 minutes when Mark Timlin crossed from the right to find Jamie McGrath who brought it down before swivelling and shooting just over the bar on the half-volley.
But then less than a minute after the interval, Philip Gannon gave the visitors the lead.
He caught Pat’s cold moments after the break as he broke down the left and curled a left- footed shot across Brendan Clarke and into the far corner.
Pat’s responded within three minutes as Sam Verdon rose highest at the back post to head home the equaliser from a Billy Dennehy corner.
Despite the equaliser Liam Buckley’s men were becoming sloppy in their passing in midfield which gave Longford the impetus to try to retake the lead.
They did just that as they then seized the initiative as Simon broke from a Pat’s corner at pace and found Conor Powell down the right who cut inside and onto his favoured left foot to finish underneath Clarke who will be disappointed not to have stopped the strike.
The home side pushed for a second equaliser as Mark Timlin hit the post following a deflected shot from Lee Desmond before they eventually drew level again.
O’Brien found the unmarked Conan Byrne on the inside right channel as he darted into the box and Byrne settled on the ball to calmly slot into the bottom corner moments after coming on.
Pat’s should’ve then taken the lead on 78 minutes as Byrne broke into the box with his blocked shot falling to Timlin who turned to shoot from 12 yards, but his effort was somehow cleared off the line by James Mulhall.
Then drama ensued with four minutes to go as Darren Dennehy got his second yellow for a tackle on David O’Sullivan in the box. O’Sullivan stepped up to take the spot kick but after hitting the bar, he was made retake the penalty due to encroachment, and made no mistake with the second effort.
There was still time for McGrath to notch the equaliser directly after the penalty, and then Verdon had a chance to win it at the death for the Saints but his weak effort was saved by Ian Molloy.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Brendan Clarke; Ger O’Brien (c) Ian Bermingham (Lee Desmond, 41), Darren Dennehy, Sean Hoare; David Cawley (Conan Byrne, 70), Shane McEleney (Keith Treacy, 46), Mark Timlin, Sam Verdon, Billy Dennehy; Jamie McGrath.
LONGFORD TOWN: Ian Molloy; Tristan Noack-Hofmann, Mark Rossiter, James Mulhall, Pat Flynn, Conor Powell (c);Kaleem Simon, Philip Gannon, Kevin O’Connor (Kealan Dillon, 75); Lee Duffy, (Josh O’Hanlon 55), David O’Sullivan.
Referee: Robert Harvey
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