Max Mata celebrates the late winner. Tom O'Hanlon/INPHO

St Pat's to the Max with late stoppage time winner to beat Shelbourne

Revival for Shels left them vulnerable at the very end.

Shelbourne 2

St Patrick’s Athletic 3

A DOUBLE FROM Ryan Edmondson and a dramatic stoppage time winner from Max Mata delivered St Patrick’s Athletic victory from this pulsating Dublin derby at Tolka Park.

Edmondson struck twice inside five minutes with his first goals for the club to appear to have Saints in control midway through the second half.

But injury-hit Shels, who lost skipper Kerr McInroy at half-time, hit back with strikes from Harry Wood and John Martin in a three minute purple-patch spell of their own.

And just when it looked like a share of the spoils was on the cards, substitute Mata won it in the second minute of added time, the New Zealander heading home James Brown’s corner at the back post to keep St Pat’s second din the table.

Shelbourne head coach Joey O’Brien spoke of enjoying ‘ding-dong’ battles with St Pat’s recently and it was helter-skelter stuff early on as the sides worked hard to settle, Shels the first to do so as they enjoyed a spell of early possession.

joey-obrien Joey O'Brien. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

Saints’ Joseph Anang was the first goalkeeper to see action, tipping over a stinging drive from Shels veteran Sean Gannon.

A heavy touch by Darragh Nugent then gifted Shels another opening on 10 minutes. Sean Hoare displayed his defensive quality to get across and take the sting out of Sean Boyd’s shot.

The visitors hit back with a glorious chance of their own within three minutes.

Despite shipping a heavy knock from James Roche, Barry Baggley sent Jay McClelland away on the left.

The Saints wingback knows he should have done better than drill his shot wide of the far post.

Shels survived another let off midway through the half when falling asleep at a James Brown throw in. Kian Leavy set up Baggley who flashed a shot just wide.

In an open game, though, it was St Pat’s who survived a scare just before half-hour, Sam Bone heading tamely off target when picked out by Roche’s superb cross.

Shels reshuffled for the second half with McInroy forced off with injury to be replaced by Evan Caffrey while Freitas was subbed for Swede Maill Lundgren.

Dutchman Wessel Speel then saw action three minutes in with the first save of the note when the Shels keeper batted away a shot form Nugent after Wood had been caught in possession.

That signalled a spell of sustained pressure that delivered Saints’ a deserved lead on 56 minutes.

Bone’s header out from James Brown’s cross merely dropped perfectly for Edmondson. The Englishman found the net with a sublime volley from 16 yards.

sean-hoare-and-ryan-edmondson Sean Hoare helps Ryan Edmondson celebrate his goal. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

It got all the better for the travelling Saints fans in the Ballybough end goal as they delighted in their side doubling the lead within five minutes.

Again Shels’ defending was poor as St Pat’s skipper Joe Redmond flicked on Brown’s corner.

And there at the back post was Edmondson to gleefully head home his second goal of the game.

Shels rallied, getting a goal back on 72 minutes.

It was all Wood’s work as he slalomed across the area, played a one-two with Bone, before shooting across goal to the net.

From having looked dead and buried, Shels were level three minutes later.

Evan Caffrey burst forward to bring a finger-tip save from Anang.

The ball came back off a post for fellow sub John Martin to shoot home to look to have completed Shelbourne’s stunning revival.

But it didn’t end there as Mata delivered the sting in the tail to bring all three points back to Inchicore.

Shelbourne: Speel; Roche (Kelly, 62), Gannon, Bone, Ledwidge; Lunney, McInroy (Caffrey, h-t); Wood, Freitas (Lundgren, h-t), Jarvis (Coote, 83); Boyd (Martin, 62).

St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Redmond, Hoare, Turner; Brown, Leavy (Boyce, 90+4), Nugent, Baggley, McClelland (Breslin, 74); Palmer (Keena, 68); Edmondson (Mata, 74).

Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin).

Attendance: 5,090.

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