UCD 1
St Patrick’s Athletic 3
Paul Buttner reports from UCD Bowl
NOAH LEWIS PROVED St Patrick’s Athletic’s unlikely super-sub with the defender scoring a brace as they breezed to victory at the UCD Bowl.
Incredibly, the crossbar then deprived the Dutchman of a hat-trick right at the death.
A fifth win in six games maintains the Inchicore side’s good form under new manager Jon Daly as they further consolidate fourth place in the table.
In conceding all three goals from corners, it proved another evening to forget for beleaguered UCD. A sixth straight defeat sees them slump 12 points adrift at the foot of the table.
With five changes from their win over Dundalk last week, St Pat’s started positively, taking the lead from their third corner of the game on seven minutes.
Conor Carty started where he left off last Friday, when scoring the winner against Dundalk, to rise unchallenged to meet Ben McCormack’s delivery and head home.
The dominant visitors wasted chances from Jay McLelland and skipper Chris Forrester either side of Dean Lyness saving well from UCD’s Jake Doyle.
A bittersweet moment then brought St Pat’s second goal on 42 minutes.
Just on the field following another defensive injury to Jay McGarth, Lewis out-jumped Doyle at the back post to nod in McCormack’s corner with his first touch in the game.
And Lewis was there again to ignite a dour second half on 63 minutes.
Once more UCD didn’t defend McCormack’s corner. Lewis rose above a defender at the back post to head to the net.
McCormack somehow failed to add another five minutes later, inexplicably shooting against a post with the goal gaping from Carty’s cross.
Substitute Danu Kinsella-Bishop gave UCD some consolation with a well-taken goal on 86 minutes.
The frame of the goal then deprived Lewis of his hat-trick in stoppage time, another header from McCormack’s corner shaving the crossbar.
UCD: Healy; Babb (Nolan, 75), O’Brien (O’Regan, h-t), Wells, Osam; Barr; Behan, Keane, Bolton (Gallagher, h-t), Norris (O’Connor, 75); Doyle (Kinsella-Bishop 59).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Lyness; Brockbank (Timmermans, 61), Curtis, McGrath (Lewis, 40), Breslin; Lennon (Atakayi, 73); McClelland (Lonergan, 61), Murphy (Melia, 73), Forrester, McCormack; Carty.
Referee: Gavin Colfer (Wicklow).
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