St Pat’s 3
Drogheda United 0
Dylan O’Connell reports from Richmond Park
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC put a difficult week behind them by beating Drogheda United 3-0 at Richmond Park on Friday evening.
The Saints, who arrived into this game with one win in their last four, needed goals from
Billy King, Eoin Doyle, and Mark Doyle to secure the three points.
This was a tonic for Tim Clancy, who saw his team blow a two goal lead against Finn Harps last Friday and lose to Shamrock Rovers at home on Monday.
His team controlled this game from the whistle and they should have scored inside three
minutes when a ball down the line from Chris Forrester found Eoin Doyle, but he fired over.
Mark Doyle got into a similar position on the opposite wing for the Saints and just as he
went to cross into the box, Luke Heeney dived in to block.
King, who played through the centre in Monday’s defeat to Shamrock Rovers, started on the right wing and he caused havoc.
His first cross into the box found Ben McCormack and he had a header come off the post.
The loose ball went to Jack Scott and his effort was taken off the line by Adam Foley.
The Scot, who has three assists to his name in 2022, also had a ball in find Colin McCabe at the back post. The forward timed his run right but his attempt dropped and hit the side netting.
King’s next ball into the box found Eoin Doyle and his shot was routinely saved by Colin
McCabe.
The deadlock was broken in the 40 th minute when Scott crossed to the back post and Eoin Doyle broke the ball down and into King’s path. The forward neatly finished with the outside of his boot.
Eoin Doyle nearly scored himself in the first minute of the second half but Dane Massey
lunged in to block this for Drogheda.
King should have got his second of the game in the 47 th minute when he ran onto a ball from Mark Doyle but he mis-hit and the chance went well wide of the target.
St Pats seemed unsure of themselves in the second half and this allowed Drogheda back
into the game.
Some loose passes in the centre of the pitch were easily picked off by Darragh Markey and Dean Williams.
One clearance from Joseph Anang even went to Gary Deegan and as the midfielder took a touch, St Pats swarmed to prevent the visitors catching them with a quick counter attack.
James Clarke had an excellent chance to equalise for Drogheda with fifteen minutes
remaining but his glancing header went wide.
With just three minutes left in the first half, Eoin Doyle played Tunde Owolabi through and he beat Dane Massey, which set up a 1 v 1 with Colin McCabe. As the goalkeeper came out to meet him, the forward unselfishly squared to Eoin Doyle and he tapped in from close range.
A Kyle Robinson cross was volleyed in by Mark Doyle to complete St Pat’s night and secure the three points.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Jack Scott, Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Chris Forrester (Kyle Robinson 89), Eoin Doyle, Mark Doyle, Billy King (Jason McCelland 85), Adam O’Reilly, Ben McCormack (Tunde Owolabi 70), Anto Breslin.
Drogheda United: Colin McCabe; Evan Weir, Andrew Quinn, Darragh Markey, Gary Deegan, Adam Foley (Dayle Rooney 61), Dane Massey, Dean Williams, Ryan Brennan, Luke Heeney (Chris Lyons 76), Darragh Nugent (James Clarke 65).
Referee: Ray Matthews