St Patrick’s Athletic 3-2 UCD
THE LATE LATE Show started bang on time as Christy Fagan fired home a dramatic winner for St Pat’s in the second minute of stoppage time.
UCD looked certain to leave Inchicore with a point thanks to Chris Mullhall’s first-half double.
But a goal in either half from Conan Byrne and then Fagan’s late heroics ensured that the champions got their first win at the second time of asking.
The main worry for Saints fans will be the fitness of Keith Fahey after their Irish international limped off injured shortly before the hour mark.
At that stage Pat’s trailed 2-1 to a UCD side who showed their intent straight away when they lined out in a 4-4-2.
With Killian Brennan ruled out with a groin injury, it was Lee Lynch who joined Fahey in central midfield for Pat’s with Bolger sitting in front of the back four.
Liam Buckley’s side settled into their passing game without creating too many chances of note.
And when the game’s first goal came on 25 minutes it was a more direct approach that paid dividends. Bolger arrowed a long ball over the top of the UCD defence and despite their appeals for offside, the flag stayed down allowing Byrne to skip free and slot the ball past Conor O’Donnell.
It could have been two a couple of minutes later but Byrne’s pass was a fraction behind Fahey and by the time he gathered possession, the momentum was lost.
UCD weren’t to be deterred so easily and Mulhall’s rapid double left RIchmond Park in stunned silence.
The first came six minutes before the break. Cillian Morrison did well on the right wing and when he cut the ball back into the box, Mulhall was able to steer it across Clarke’s goal and into the far corner.
The Students continued to press forward after their equaliser, Mark Langtry bombing on from left-full before he was stopped in his tracks by Ken Oman. Mulhall took full advantage, expertly curling his free into the same corner from all of 25 yards.
Pat’s made a double change at the break with Conor McCormack replacing skipper Ger O’Brien at right-full and Daryl Kavanagh coming in for the anonymous Lynch.
And Buckley was forced into his third and final change on 57 minutes when Fahey limped off following a collision with Ian Ryan in the Students’ box.
The equaliser came seven minutes later and if the execution for Mullhall’s free was good, Byrne’s was arguably even better. Forrester was fouled by Robbie Creevy and Byrne curled home his second of the evening with little O’Donnell could do to stop it.
Both sides had chances as the game opened up in the final quarter and Pat’s had Bolger to thank after he intervened on the line to deny Dean Clarke.
Morrison will rue a wasted opportunity after he headed Benson’s dangerous free over in the 78th minute.
And Oman had chance of his own at the other end but failed to get a clean header on one of Byrne’s trademark frees.
In the end it didn’t matter. Pat’s kept the pressure on after Gareth Matthews headed off the line with O’Donnell stranded and Fagan popped up at the back post to rifle home the winner.
ST PAT’S: Clarke, O’Brien (c, McCormack 46), Browne, Oman, Bermingham, Byrne, Fahey (Chambers 57), Lynch (Kavanagh 46), Bolger, Forrester, Fagan.
UCD: O’Donnell, Barker, Boyle, Ryan, Langtry (Matthews 63), Ben Mohamed (Belhout 78), Creevy, Benson (c), Mulhall, Clarke (Burke 89), Morrison.
Referee: Paul Tuite
