ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC laid down a marker for this season by ending 2024 on a nine-game winning run to secure a European place.
As a result, talk ahead of this campaign was of a serious title challenge for the first time since they last lifted the Premier Division title in 2013.
Expectation was high. A draw and defeat from their first two games then raised questions about their ability to set the standard from the start.
Back-to-back wins have now gone some way to easing such doubts. Stephen Kenny’s side followed up that dramatic 4-3 win over Sligo Rovers on Friday with this 2-0 victory over Derry City 72 hours later.
Aidan Keena scored twice from the spot, Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia made his first start of the season alongside him in attack, and Pat’s ended the night within touching distance of top spot.
But what will please Kenny most of all was the way his side – even if this was in front of their own fans and against a Derry side that seem brittle, were able to overcome adversity and show the kind of strength in depth required to deliver another title.
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Derry got into a flow pretty quickly and didn’t look like a side licking their wounds after a home defeat to Waterford on Friday. Their night would soon disintegrate, falling behind and losing a man early into the second half, but for the opening 10 minutes or so they were comfortable in possession and making Pat’s chase shadows.
Hardly a surprise given the makeshift nature of the home side’s midfield. Jamie Lennon is out for at least another month and was described by Kenny as their Rodri.
Kian Leavy is another injury absentee, along with Romal Palmer who came off with a hamstring issue in the dramatic 4-3 victory over Sligo here on Friday.
Both of those offer guile and explosiveness in the middle, while Barry Baggley’s late red card against the Bit O’Red deprived the Saints of another strong option.
Chris Forrester made his 300th league appearance for the club off the bench last time out and was supposed to be eased back in after suffering with a severe flu during pre-season. No such luck, but Derry didn’t have the cutting edge to make their early control count.
And when Keena got a run on Mark Connolly down the left channel after Anto Breslin’s ball into space, Pat’s were quick to slice through. Melia galloped forward in support and just as he was about to connect with the pass Ben Doherty nudged him from behind to throw him off balance.
Car Winchester is sent off. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Referee Gavin Colfer took a couple of seconds before pointing to the spot, decided against sending off the Derry defender, and then watched like the rest of us as Keena smashed his penalty low and hard to Brian Maher’s right.
He had no chance, and Keena was away to celebrate his fourth goal of the season after just 16 minutes with some of the 4,476 who jammed into Richmond Park.
There wasn’t quite the same level of drama and thrill as the Sligo win – just the two goals and one red card here – but this was a Monday night that stirred the senses for the Saints.
Carl Winchester’s sending off barely 60 seconds into the second half made it even more of a mountain to climb. Colfer deemed his tackle on Melia a dangerous one, and it definitely felt over the top and reckless in real time. So much so there was a melee involving both sets of players.
A replay suggested a yellow might have been sufficient, but Derry could have no complaints when Colfer awarded Pat’s a second penalty on 66 minutes.
Forrester’s disguise on the pass for Keena was so good it would have got past the barman checking ID in McDowell’s next door.
The forward opened his body and was brought down by Adam O’Reilly. It was clear as day and such was the venom on the strike from 12 yards Maher didn’t even bother diving to the same side that Keena had converted the first spot kick.
He has five goals already to be the early pace-setter in the top scorer charts.
Pat’s might not have made as quick a start but they’re picking up pace. Derry, on the other hand, began making changes once the second went in with a view to dealing with the challenge of Galway United this Friday.
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For Pat’s it’s a short trip across Dublin to Shamrock Rovers and another test of their credentials.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Axel Sjoberg; Joe Redmond (captain), Tom Grivosti, Anthony Breslin; Zach Elbouzedi (Al-Amin Kazeem 87), Chris Forrester, Jason McClelland, Jake Mulraney (Simon Power 70); Mason Melia (Conor Carthy 87); Aidan Keena (Brandon Kavanagh 78).
Derry City: Brian Maher; Adam O’Reilly, Kevin Holt, Mark Connolly (captain), Ben Doherty; Paul McMullan (Sam Todd 55), Sadou Diallo, Carl Winchester, Gavin Whyte (Ciaron Harkin 55), Michael Duffy (Danny Mullen 73); Pat Hoban (Sean Patton 65).
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Aidan Keena makes Derry City pay penalty to help St Pat's build momentum
St Patrick’s Athletic 2
Derry City 0
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC laid down a marker for this season by ending 2024 on a nine-game winning run to secure a European place.
As a result, talk ahead of this campaign was of a serious title challenge for the first time since they last lifted the Premier Division title in 2013.
Expectation was high. A draw and defeat from their first two games then raised questions about their ability to set the standard from the start.
Back-to-back wins have now gone some way to easing such doubts. Stephen Kenny’s side followed up that dramatic 4-3 win over Sligo Rovers on Friday with this 2-0 victory over Derry City 72 hours later.
Aidan Keena scored twice from the spot, Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia made his first start of the season alongside him in attack, and Pat’s ended the night within touching distance of top spot.
But what will please Kenny most of all was the way his side – even if this was in front of their own fans and against a Derry side that seem brittle, were able to overcome adversity and show the kind of strength in depth required to deliver another title.
Derry got into a flow pretty quickly and didn’t look like a side licking their wounds after a home defeat to Waterford on Friday. Their night would soon disintegrate, falling behind and losing a man early into the second half, but for the opening 10 minutes or so they were comfortable in possession and making Pat’s chase shadows.
Hardly a surprise given the makeshift nature of the home side’s midfield. Jamie Lennon is out for at least another month and was described by Kenny as their Rodri.
Kian Leavy is another injury absentee, along with Romal Palmer who came off with a hamstring issue in the dramatic 4-3 victory over Sligo here on Friday.
Both of those offer guile and explosiveness in the middle, while Barry Baggley’s late red card against the Bit O’Red deprived the Saints of another strong option.
Chris Forrester made his 300th league appearance for the club off the bench last time out and was supposed to be eased back in after suffering with a severe flu during pre-season. No such luck, but Derry didn’t have the cutting edge to make their early control count.
And when Keena got a run on Mark Connolly down the left channel after Anto Breslin’s ball into space, Pat’s were quick to slice through. Melia galloped forward in support and just as he was about to connect with the pass Ben Doherty nudged him from behind to throw him off balance.
Referee Gavin Colfer took a couple of seconds before pointing to the spot, decided against sending off the Derry defender, and then watched like the rest of us as Keena smashed his penalty low and hard to Brian Maher’s right.
He had no chance, and Keena was away to celebrate his fourth goal of the season after just 16 minutes with some of the 4,476 who jammed into Richmond Park.
There wasn’t quite the same level of drama and thrill as the Sligo win – just the two goals and one red card here – but this was a Monday night that stirred the senses for the Saints.
Carl Winchester’s sending off barely 60 seconds into the second half made it even more of a mountain to climb. Colfer deemed his tackle on Melia a dangerous one, and it definitely felt over the top and reckless in real time. So much so there was a melee involving both sets of players.
A replay suggested a yellow might have been sufficient, but Derry could have no complaints when Colfer awarded Pat’s a second penalty on 66 minutes.
Forrester’s disguise on the pass for Keena was so good it would have got past the barman checking ID in McDowell’s next door.
The forward opened his body and was brought down by Adam O’Reilly. It was clear as day and such was the venom on the strike from 12 yards Maher didn’t even bother diving to the same side that Keena had converted the first spot kick.
He has five goals already to be the early pace-setter in the top scorer charts.
Pat’s might not have made as quick a start but they’re picking up pace. Derry, on the other hand, began making changes once the second went in with a view to dealing with the challenge of Galway United this Friday.
For Pat’s it’s a short trip across Dublin to Shamrock Rovers and another test of their credentials.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Axel Sjoberg; Joe Redmond (captain), Tom Grivosti, Anthony Breslin; Zach Elbouzedi (Al-Amin Kazeem 87), Chris Forrester, Jason McClelland, Jake Mulraney (Simon Power 70); Mason Melia (Conor Carthy 87); Aidan Keena (Brandon Kavanagh 78).
Derry City: Brian Maher; Adam O’Reilly, Kevin Holt, Mark Connolly (captain), Ben Doherty; Paul McMullan (Sam Todd 55), Sadou Diallo, Carl Winchester, Gavin Whyte (Ciaron Harkin 55), Michael Duffy (Danny Mullen 73); Pat Hoban (Sean Patton 65).
Referee: Gavin Colfer.
Attendance: 4,476.
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back-to-back Derry City League of Ireland Soccer St. Patrick's Athletic