David Sneyd

THE BEST MATCH of this League of Ireland season took place at Tolka Park on Monday, and so much of the night encapsulated the community and sense of belonging that makes the drama on the pitch even more enthralling.

It ended with a dramatic 88th-minute winner from Al-Amin Kazeem for St Patrick’s Athletic in a five-goal thriller.

The 22-year-old celebrated wildly just moments after coming on as a substitute, mobbed by his teammates and then given a mothering squeeze and caring pat on the head by one St Pat’s fan in her woolly hat and gloves — “Mammy Pam” as she’s known after the clip caught eyes, and hearts, on social media last night.

A night that left Shelbourne bereft, yet still top of the Premier Division with a four-point lead going into the final four games.

It started with a discussion about the merits of pre-made food pouches for babies.

Well, it actually started with mounting a kerb and almost hitting the former Shels captain Stuey Byrne who was looking for a shortcut before TV duties with RTÉ.

Still, he was happy to walk down Clonturk Park and cut down the lane towards Tolka Park. A quick stroll down memory lane with the three-time league winner, who recalled his time as a player and how he and the squad would throw a fiver to an aul lad in the no-man’s land plot on Richmond Road to look after their cars.

Ollie Byrne, of course, made sure they got a good deal.

Talk of parking turned to his early days at Bohemians in the mid 1990s, when he was also cutting his teeth in his day job in an architect firm that had redevelopment plans for Dalymount Park which included a six-storey directly behind the goal at the Phibsborough Shopping Centre end as well as, you guessed it, a car park under the pitch.

“Is my name on the list?” he said to the familiar face with the clipboard at the entrance for media and other guests.

“Your face is in here forever,” the man replied, tapping his temple and smiling.

A slightly earlier kick-off of 7.15pm somehow seemed to throw all timings out of kilter. There was plenty of time to spare. A quick chat with one Shels official was telling. “I could barely cope on Friday against Sligo so I’ve no fucking clue how I’ll get through this.”

It’s been almost 20 years since they’ve been anywhere near this position so the nerves and uncertainty are understandable. What was to follow would only add to that inner turmoil.

The Kennedy women have been here much earlier – don’t ask how many years – but one of the card machines in their coffee shop, behind the goal where Rayhaan Tulloch and Matty Smith would find the top corner later in the evening, hasn’t charged.

“The other one is down there,” Mammy Kennedy says.

The baby in the corner with another of the younger Kennedy girls is bawling.

“Why is she crying?” one of the girls asks. “She’s just had her dinner.”

“Because the child is a hunga,” another of the Kennedy girls laughs.

“Can’t go wrong with an Ella’s Kitchen pouch,” The 42 adds, unhelpfully.

Nana Kennedy is also holding the fort. There are enough of her grandchildren behind the counter to pack the Shels midfield.

“And it was a Wispa you wanted as well?” one of her granddaughters remembers.

Al-Amin Kazeem gives St Patrick's Athletic a 3-2 lead in a Tolka Park thriller.

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— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 30, 2024

After an afternoon meet-up at the Croke Park Hotel for some pre-match food, the St Pat’s players begin to arrive around an hour before kick off.

Chris Forrester walks by the Kennedy’s coffee hut. He stops for a chat. His team are flying – this would be their fifth win in a row with European qualification in their sights, although they’ve possibly run out of road for a title charge.

A dad and his son approach with a phone in hand. “Git, sorry, do ye mind?”

“No, course.”

Forrester jokingly zips up the boy’s jacket to cover the Shels crest. The boy pulls it back down further to show it off before his Dad takes the photo.

“Quick, Da, get the crest in now.”

“Thanks a million, Git.”

“No worries.”

Even that young Shels fan would have enjoyed the double nutmeg Forrester produced midway through the first half.

The goals that followed from the Saints were clinical. Brandon ‘Brando’ Kavanagh continues to emerge as a triumph of this surge under Stephen Kenny.

Aidan Keena’s attempt from inside his own half strikes the bar and a brief moment in time that would have become instantly etched in lore instead passes in a flash.

The Shels comeback comes just as quickly in a sensational four-minute spell – Tulloch and Smith producing two moments of sublime, effortless quality that look to reenergise their final push over the finishing line in the title race.

Then they are taken down by the knee. Smith sees red for violent conduct, and then Kazeem takes his moment of glory.

The image of him being embraced by Mammy Pam at the end is joyous.

At the final whistle he’s then thrown on the shoulders of goalkeeper Joseph Anang as the Pat’s players savour the moment with their fans.

Europe is on their radar and the most optimistic of all will be doing the calculations for an improbable title charge.

Nights like this make you believe anything is possible, and remind you why this league takes a hold of you like a hug from Mammy Pam.