St Patrick’s Athletic 3
Cork City 1
CORK CITY’S HOPES of securing a first league title since 2005 are all but over after they were beaten by St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park tonight.
Pat’s bounced back from their loss to Bray Wanderers on Friday night to go level on points with the Seagulls in sixth thanks to an effort from Christy Fagan and late strikes from Sam Verdon and Conan Byrne.
Alan Bennett had equalised Cork on half-time but they couldn’t muster up the guile to keep the pressure on Dundalk at the top of the table.
Pat’s began brightly as Mark McNulty was forced into the first save of the game on four minutes when Graham Kelly curled an effort from outside the box towards the far corner but the Cork goalkeeper got his fingers tips to the ball to tip it around the post.
Sean Maguire almost put City in front after a lapse in concentration from Ian Bermingham allowed the striker to get a shot away but his effort squirmed justr wide via a Darren Dennehy deflection.
Fagan then put Pat’s ahead just past the quarter hour mark. Michael Barker played a neat one-two with Ger O’Brien before he fed his front man who found space well to calmly slot in to the bottom corner with his weaker left foot.
The visitors almost replied instantly with Bennett and Karl Sheppard going close with a pair of headers with Bennett’s effort cleared off the line and Sheppard’s going just over.
Bennett had another chance to level matters after Stephen Dooley wrong footed the Pat’s defence to sneak in along the end line to cut back to his centre-half who could only succeed in directing his low shot into the arms of Brendan Clarke.
Dooley carved out another chance moments later when he came in from the left to tee up Gary Buckley on the edge of the area but his shot flew over.
Then Fagan nearly doubled his tally when he ran at the Cork defence to drive wide but it was the Rebels who were level on the stroke of half-time.
Dooley was looking most likely to create something and it was Bennett who met his corner with a glancing header which arrowed straight into the top corner to square it all up.
Buoyed on by their leveller, the Leesiders began the second period at a lightening pace.
Steven Beattie hit the target with a powerful long effort seconds after the resumption and then Kenny Browne turned a volley over when unmarked in the box.
Sean Hoare and Lee Desmond then conspired to allow Gavan Holohan in on goal but Dennehy spared their blushes with a last ditch tackle.
Bermingham almost put Pat’s back in front as his effort from 30 yards looked destined to dip into the top corner but McNulty just about palmed wide with Beattie going close at the other end on the break as he smashed over when he should have hit the target after being found in space.
Then substitute Verdon hit a magnificent curling shot to dash Cork’s chances of keeping the title race alive.
Byrne pulled back to find Verdon who showed great technique to find the top corner of the net from just inside the box.
Then in injury-time Pat’s completed the win as Byrne sent his penalty down the middle after Jamie McGrath had been fouled by Greg Bolger.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Brendan Clarke; Ger O’Brien (Rory Feely, 80), Darren Dennehy, Sean Hoare, Ian Bermingham; Lee Desmond, Graham Kelly (Billy Dennehy, 88), Michael Barker (Sam Verdon, 58), Conan Byrne, Jamie McGrath; Christy Fagan.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie, Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O’Connor; Gavan Holohan (Chiedozie Ogbene, 74), Greg Bolger, Karl Sheppard (Dave Mulcahy, 70), Garry Buckley, Stephen Dooley (Mark O’Sullivan 82); Seán Maguire.
Referee: Ben Connolly.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!