Sligo Rovers 0
St Patrick’s Athletic 2
Jessica Farry reports from The Showgrounds
CHRIS FORRESTER SCORED his 12th goal of the season as St Patrick’s Athletic moved within one point of league leaders Shamrock Rovers with a 2-0 win over Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds on Friday night.
A strong start saw Pat’s race into a 2-0 lead, with Forrester netting a penalty before Sam Curtis scored a second for the visitors.
Second half changes made a difference for the Bit O’Red, but David Cawley missed a penalty deep into additional time.
The hosts’ already tough season took another blow on Thursday, as it was announced that leading scorer Max Mata had departed for League One side Shrewsbury.
But there was some good news. Defender Garry Buckley was named in the starting XI for the first time in 12 months having suffered an ACL injury during the Bit O’Red’s European campaign in 2022.
Portuguese striker Pedro Martelo also made a first start, coming in for the departed Mata.
Rovers came into this game after squandering a two goal lead against Drogheda United in their previous outing, coming home from Weavers Park with just a point after taking a 2-0 lead.
The Bit O’Red had won twice in their last five league games, as manager John Russell desperately wants to see his side move away from the relegation play-off spot.
St Patrick’s Athletic had not played a league game since the 1-1 draw with Cork City on 7 July.
Since then, the Saints have exited Europe and got through to the second round of the FAI Cup having beaten First Division side Longford Town in the first round.
Jon Daly welcomed back star defender Joe Redmond, who missed 16 games with a hamstring injury.
Northern Ireland international Ryan McLaughlin was named on the bench for the first time since singing last week.
In what was a frantic start, the Bit O’Red came close to opening the scoring after just three minutes. A neat one-two between Kailin Barlow and Martelo saw the latter set up the former inside the box, the Sligo native Barlow could only fire over from close range.
Martelo himself stung the palms of Dean Lyness on 10 minutes after he turned well in the box, although his shot lacked the power it required to cause any problems.
The Saints’ pace was causing some problems for the hosts. After a quick attack, referee Rob Harvey pointed to the spot with no hesitation as Buckley slid in late on Mark Doyle inside the box.
Forrester made no mistake from the spot.
To their credit, Russell’s side responded well to going behind. But, finding the net was proving difficult.
And, each time Jon Daly’s side got forward, they were threatening.
Jason McClelland worked his way into the danger zone with fantastic footwork as he evaded the Rovers defence, but the end product wasn’t quite what he had planned, with Luke McNicholas in the Sligo goals able to save the shot.
Mulraney somehow fired over from point blank range on the half hour mark after Mark Doyle’s cross took the slightest touch off McClelland to again put off the Rovers defence.
And two minutes later, the Dubliners had a second.
Mulraney’s free-kick from the right wasn’t dealt with, and despite efforts from Lukas Browning and Johan Brannefalk to clear it, the ball eventually fell to 17-year-old Curtis, who hit the target with a fine finish.
Even at this early stage, it was hard to see a way back for the home side.
But, their heads didn’t drop.
An impressive leap from Martelo allowed him to connect with Brannefalk’s free-kick, but the header was straight at Lyness.
Seconds later, the Portuguese striker got on the end of a cross from Greg Bolger, but he couldn’t keep it down.
Despite a spirited start to the second half from the hosts, Lyness was rarely troubled after the restart.
A fine long range attempt from St Pats substitute Alex Nolan whistled past the far post on 70 minutes, while RB Leipzig loanee Fabrice Hartmann injected a bit of life into the home side.
Conor Carty was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card after a late challenge on Nando Pijnaker, and manager Jon Daly must have known it too as he took Carty off almost immediately.
And Rovers manager Russell was then booked himself for his complaints to the fourth official, as he grew frustrated.
Hartmann, who returned to Rovers this week for an extension of his loan spell, thought he had pulled one back in the 83rd minute.
But, his well executed shot was well read by Lyness, who stretched to his right to claim it.
There was some late, late hope for the hosts, after Cawley’s shot was blocked by Anto Breslin’s hand in the box, with Rob Harvey pointing to the spot deep into additional time.
Cawley, who will be given a testimonial next week, took the penalty himself but fired it wide.
That win for Pats increases the pressure on league leaders Shamrock Rovers, with just one point now separating the two sides, although the Hoops have a game in hand.
Sligo Rovers: McNicholas, Brannefalk, Buckley, Pijnaker, Morahan, Liivak (Cawley, 83), Browning (Hartmann, 63), Bolger, Radosavljevic, Barlow (O’Sullivan, 76), Martelo.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Lyness, Curtis, Redmond, McGrath, Breslin, Forrester, Murphy, Mulraney (Alex Nolan, 64), Doyle, McClelland (McCormack, 93), Carty (Lonergan, 76)