AS THE SHELBOURNE players celebrated a well-earned victory and their St Patrick’s Athletic counterparts began to realise their title challenge was hanging by a thread, some took umbrage with the performative show in front of the jubilant away supporters from former teammates.
Tempers flared.
There was pushing and shoving and the kind of bravado you would expect at the end of a tense night.
Saints boss Stephen Kenny will just be happy that none of his players were shown a red card after the whistle for their part in the melee. They travel to Derry City on Monday for their game in hand.
Pat’s are in third place and will go above Bohemians on goal difference if they win. To topple Shamrock Rovers at the top they must hope the champions either lose one of their remaining two games – at home to relegated Sligo Rovers and away to Dundalk on the final night – or drop points in both.
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Victories against Derry, away to Galway and at home to Bohs will be a necessity for the Inchicore club.
St Pat's boss Stephen Kenny at full time. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Such permutations feel redundant after a smash and grab 2-1 Shels win. Aidan Keena missed a first-half penalty, Anthony Olusanya wasted a glorious chance from eight yards out, while Jamie Lennon’s opener was cancelled out by Sean Moore’s equaliser early into the second half.
“We still had a lot of shots from the edge of the box that we just didn’t hit the target with and we should have done so quite a few times on that. We went all out for the win and pushed them for the win and we left ourselves a little bit open and obviously they exploited that with the goal which was a good finish.”
Daniel Kelly delivered the blow on 84 minutes, finishing off a swift counter attacking move with a fine, low effort just outside the box.
“We’re kicking ourselves. It obviously is a kick in the teeth to lose that game,” Kenny said.
“You’re seeing the brilliance of the team and then we didn’t create enough clear-cut chances considering we’d so much of the ball in that last 20 minutes. So we could have done better in that regard and we didn’t. So that’s it.”
Kenny accepts it’s a huge setback but knows there is no time for self-pity before Monday’s trip north.
Shelbourne fans savour victory. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“The players will have to regroup. It’ll feel like the end of the world but [on Saturday] morning they need to regroup and get focused again. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready.”
Kenny felt his side were “absolutely outstanding in the first half” and could have taken a three-goal lead into half-time.
Shels were a rabble in the opening 45 minutes, but John Russell got a response from his players after the break.
Now Kenny needs the same from his players with time, and games, running out on a campaign that looks to be nearing a conclusion that promises disappointment rather than exhilaration.
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St Pat's players fight against dying of the title light - 'It will feel like the end of the world'
AS THE SHELBOURNE players celebrated a well-earned victory and their St Patrick’s Athletic counterparts began to realise their title challenge was hanging by a thread, some took umbrage with the performative show in front of the jubilant away supporters from former teammates.
Tempers flared.
There was pushing and shoving and the kind of bravado you would expect at the end of a tense night.
Saints boss Stephen Kenny will just be happy that none of his players were shown a red card after the whistle for their part in the melee. They travel to Derry City on Monday for their game in hand.
Pat’s are in third place and will go above Bohemians on goal difference if they win. To topple Shamrock Rovers at the top they must hope the champions either lose one of their remaining two games – at home to relegated Sligo Rovers and away to Dundalk on the final night – or drop points in both.
Victories against Derry, away to Galway and at home to Bohs will be a necessity for the Inchicore club.
Such permutations feel redundant after a smash and grab 2-1 Shels win. Aidan Keena missed a first-half penalty, Anthony Olusanya wasted a glorious chance from eight yards out, while Jamie Lennon’s opener was cancelled out by Sean Moore’s equaliser early into the second half.
“We still had a lot of shots from the edge of the box that we just didn’t hit the target with and we should have done so quite a few times on that. We went all out for the win and pushed them for the win and we left ourselves a little bit open and obviously they exploited that with the goal which was a good finish.”
Daniel Kelly delivered the blow on 84 minutes, finishing off a swift counter attacking move with a fine, low effort just outside the box.
“We’re kicking ourselves. It obviously is a kick in the teeth to lose that game,” Kenny said.
“You’re seeing the brilliance of the team and then we didn’t create enough clear-cut chances considering we’d so much of the ball in that last 20 minutes. So we could have done better in that regard and we didn’t. So that’s it.”
Kenny accepts it’s a huge setback but knows there is no time for self-pity before Monday’s trip north.
“The players will have to regroup. It’ll feel like the end of the world but [on Saturday] morning they need to regroup and get focused again. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready.”
Kenny felt his side were “absolutely outstanding in the first half” and could have taken a three-goal lead into half-time.
Shels were a rabble in the opening 45 minutes, but John Russell got a response from his players after the break.
Now Kenny needs the same from his players with time, and games, running out on a campaign that looks to be nearing a conclusion that promises disappointment rather than exhilaration.
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League of Ireland LOI St. Patrick's Athletic Stephen Kenny