St Patrick’s Athletic 2
Shamrock Rovers 1
INCHICORE IS BOUNCING again, and Stephen Kenny knows it can’t just be for one night only.
Brandon Kavanagh, the smallest player on the pitch, produced the biggest moment of the game in the 95th minute to earn St Patrick’s Athletic this thrilling victory over Shamrock Rovers.
There was joy unconfined in three corners of Richmond Park, with some home fans spilling onto the pitch to savour the drama and taunt the desolate away fans behind the goal where Pat’s did the damage.
Kavanagh’s header, unmarked from six yards out, was a bullet into the top corner from Axel Sjoberg’s cross.
He was only on the pitch six minutes but the surge of adrenaline may keep him going the mid-season break that now sees St Pat’s looking up the table from sixth rather than over their shoulder.
Before that it was Mason Melia who did the donkey work and Ruairi Keating who finished like a thoroughbred to bring the sides level.
The front two combined and, by hook or by crook, it delivered. An indication of the spirit in Kenny’s team that was only reinforced by the manner of the injury-time drama.
Johnny Kenny had given the visitors a first-half lead after excellent work by Neil Farrugia but the leveller was all about persistance, endeavour and then class as Melia bust a gut to close down Lee Steacy and deflect his clearance into the path of Keating who arrowed a shot from 20 yards into the goalkeeper’s top left corner.
It was a thrilling end to a game that started with both sides having strong penalty appeals inside the opening 10 minutes, although referee Damien MacGraith was not convinced.
The first looked clear cut, St Pat’s striker Mason Melia left in a heap on the floor after being taken down by Lee Steacy.
It was a nervous start for the stand-in goalkeeper, who replaced the absent Leon Pohls, and there was a similar sense of worry for the home fans when Farrugia put on the afterburners with a run from the middle of the pitch that left everyone for dust and ended with him being brought down after somehow finding the composure to halt his momentum and chop back inside.
Pat’s then had two quick fire chances of their own, Melia getting on the end of a Jake Mulraney cross but glancing his flick just wide.
Four minutes later they should have been ahead, a well-worked move that began with Jamie Lennon switching the play to Kian Leavy on the right and finished with Romal Palmer unmarked at the back post but firing his shot straight into the midriff of Steacy who was scurrying back across his line.
After all of that excitement the Rovers opener on 32 minutes came in the midst of a lull in play.
Farrugia provided another lethal, devastating spark.
Graham Burke had drifted out to the right with his wing back a few yards further ahead. He knew what he had to do, rolling the ball so Farrugia could maintain his stride and momentum.
He was away.
Poor Luke Turner tried to stop him in his tracks but before he knew it the makeshift left full was back pedalling into the corner of the box.
Farrugia pushed the ball past and once he had the yard of space required pulled his cross back into the area where one of his strikers needed to be.
Kenny anticipated, taking a cushioned touch that wrongfooted Joe Redmond. With his next touch the on-loan Celtic striker smoothly placed the ball low to Daniel Rogers’ left.
Composure like that is why he will surely end this Premier Divsion campaign with double figures.
His 10th should have come later in the second half only to blaze his effort over the bar from 15 yards after again showing sharp feet to get it away in the first place.
Pat’s, too, wasted a gilt-edged opportunity five minutes after the re-start when Mulraney skied a shot over from the middle of the penalty area with his weaker right foot.
He should have done much better and frustration around Richmond Park grew.
On 75 there was elation followed swiftly be despair after Keating finished low and hard with his left foot in the box only for the offside flag to be raised.
There was no time to feel sorry for themselves. Within 60 seconds Melia took the initiative to close Steacy down and he got enough on the clearance for the ball to skid in the direction of Keating outside the box.
The striker took a touch to settle himself and picked his spot, arrowing a stunning shot into the goalkeeper’s top left corner.
The Rovers fans behind that goal were silent, the Pat’s faithful jubilant.
Leavy raced to the fourth official to check how long was left.
The answer was 14 minutes plus stoppage time – what turned out to be seven minutes.
There looked like only winner from here with Pat’s playing with purpose and Rovers in survival mode.
And then Kavanagh had his moment, leaving Rovers 12 points off leaders Shelbourne and facing into a long mid-season break.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Rogers; Sjoberg; Redmond (captain), Grivosti, Turner (McClelland 55); Leavy, Forrester, Lennon, Palmer (Keating 61), Mulraney; Melia (B Kavanagh 89)
Shamrock Rovers: Steacy, Grace; Honohan (Towell 42), Lopes, Grace (captain) (Noonan 80); Farrugia, Watts, Nugent, Burke (Byrne 80), Poom (O’Sullivan 72); Greene, Kenny.
Referee: D MacGraith.
Attendance: 4,965.
