St Patrick’s Athletic 2
UCD 1
Ronan Macnamara reports from Richmond Park
THE FIRST GAME after the mid-season interval will be best remembered for events on the touchline rather than on the pitch after UCD manager Andy Myler and his assistant Willie O’Connor were sent off in the second half.
The pair were seething with referee Paul McLoughlin’s decision to not send off Pats full-back Sam Curtis after he clipped Dara Keane who was bearing down on goal, shortly after Eoin Doyle had given the hosts the lead.
The second half was barely five minutes old when Doyle headed home from close range despite the best efforts of a scrambling Kian Moore after he met Chris Forrester’s clever reverse dink.
There was a double whammy for the students’ moments later when Myler and O’Connor were given their marching orders. Keane looked through on goal before he was fouled but perhaps a heavy touch from the midfielder spared the blushes of Curtis.
The hosts doubled their advantage from the spot in the 72nd minute with Doyle grabbing his second of the game to put the game to bed after Evan Caffrey was adjudged to have fouled substitute Ben McCormack.
The visitors were dogged in their approach and will feel they should have been ahead on the stroke of half-time. West Ham loanee Joseph Anang had to be alert to deny Donal Higgins before Sean Brennan struck his rebound into the ground and into the grateful arms of the stopper after a flowing UCD move.
Before that, Pats had been lacklustre without creating anything clear-cut. Centre-back Tom Grivosti will wonder how he didn’t open the scoring after he directed an effort wide from close range after some pinball in the area.
The two Doyles looked the most likely for Tim Clancy’s side in the opening half and they both had half-chances but UCD keeper Moore was up to the task before Sam Todd launched himself at the ball to deflect Eoin’s turn and shot over the bar.
UCD called upon Ireland U21 star Liam Kerrigan in the second half and his introduction coincided with the best spell of the match for the students. His eye-of-the-needle pass allowed fellow sub Alex Nolan to coolly slot home and tee up a grandstand finish with three minutes to play, but the hosts hung on for the three points.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Anto Breslin (Ian Bermingham 76), Sam Curtis (James Abankwah 77), Tom Grivosti, Joe Redmond; Darragh Burns (Jack Scott 85), Mark Doyle (Tunde Owolabi 76), Chris Forrester, Jason McClelland (Ben McCormack 59), Adam O’Reilly; Eoin Doyle.
UCD: Kian Moore; Michael Gallagher, Evan Osam, Sam Todd, Eric Yoro (Ryan Bowden 69); Sean Brennan (Alex Nolan 75), Mark Dignam (Thomas Lonergan 62), Dylan Duffy, Donal Higgins (Liam Kerrigan 62), Dara Keane; Evan Caffrey