KEITH FAHEY’S FIRST league goal of the season helped St Patrick’s Athletic keep a feint title alive as they inflicted a ninth away defeat in the league on UCD in their Premier Division clash in Richmond Park tonight.
Fahey drove through the Students’ defence to open the scoring in the first half, and goals from Conan Byrne and Ian Bermingham mean the Saints stay in touch with Dundalk and Cork City.
Keith Fahey celebrates the game's first goal. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Back in March these teams played out a similar scoreline, but this game was never as close as that, even though Greg Bolger received a straight red card early in the second half.
UCD had the better of the opening 10 minutes, and both Colm Crowe and Robbie Creevy sent tame shots wide of Brendan Clarke’s goal.
Advertisement
Liam Buckley’s men were without their usual swagger as the game gathered pace, but they soon found their groove, and Christy Fagan really should have added to his 16 league goals this season.
He was presented with four opportunities to score in the opening half, with a header five minutes before the break, the best of those chances.
With a quarter of the game played, the home side were in total control, and Fahey came within inches of opening the scoring, but his shot from Forrester’s cross somehow crept wide of the UCD post.
He was more accurate on the stroke of half time, however. Having dispossessed Colm Crowe 30-yards from goal, the midfielder then glided by James Kavanagh before lifting the ball over the advancing O’Donnell.
Greg Bolger reacts to his red. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
With the amber August sky overhead, Greg Bolger saw the red mist descend on 57 minutes. A stamp on Crowe left the referee with little choice, and he received his second dismissal of the season..
Buoyed by the numerical advantage, UCD pushed forward in search of an equaliser, and introduced Timmy Molloy, but they were two down soon after.
Freedom
Forrester found Byrne raiding into the box on the right, and the winger struck his shot beautifully with the outside of his boot past O’Donnell.
Although a man short, Pat’s seemed to have more freedom, and when Killian Brennan found Ian Bermingham bursting forward on the left, the full-back drilled his shot under O’Donnell to make it 3-0.
UCD did net two late consolation goals through Hugh Douglas and Robbie Benson, but there was little to suggest a dramatic comeback was on the cards.
Benson’s goal may be in the draw for goal of the month, however, as his left-footed free-kick left Clarke with no chance.
Bolger red can't stop Saints scoring three in win over UCD
St Patrick’s Athletic 3
UCD 2
KEITH FAHEY’S FIRST league goal of the season helped St Patrick’s Athletic keep a feint title alive as they inflicted a ninth away defeat in the league on UCD in their Premier Division clash in Richmond Park tonight.
Fahey drove through the Students’ defence to open the scoring in the first half, and goals from Conan Byrne and Ian Bermingham mean the Saints stay in touch with Dundalk and Cork City.
Back in March these teams played out a similar scoreline, but this game was never as close as that, even though Greg Bolger received a straight red card early in the second half.
UCD had the better of the opening 10 minutes, and both Colm Crowe and Robbie Creevy sent tame shots wide of Brendan Clarke’s goal.
Liam Buckley’s men were without their usual swagger as the game gathered pace, but they soon found their groove, and Christy Fagan really should have added to his 16 league goals this season.
He was presented with four opportunities to score in the opening half, with a header five minutes before the break, the best of those chances.
With a quarter of the game played, the home side were in total control, and Fahey came within inches of opening the scoring, but his shot from Forrester’s cross somehow crept wide of the UCD post.
He was more accurate on the stroke of half time, however. Having dispossessed Colm Crowe 30-yards from goal, the midfielder then glided by James Kavanagh before lifting the ball over the advancing O’Donnell.
With the amber August sky overhead, Greg Bolger saw the red mist descend on 57 minutes. A stamp on Crowe left the referee with little choice, and he received his second dismissal of the season..
Buoyed by the numerical advantage, UCD pushed forward in search of an equaliser, and introduced Timmy Molloy, but they were two down soon after.
Freedom
Forrester found Byrne raiding into the box on the right, and the winger struck his shot beautifully with the outside of his boot past O’Donnell.
Although a man short, Pat’s seemed to have more freedom, and when Killian Brennan found Ian Bermingham bursting forward on the left, the full-back drilled his shot under O’Donnell to make it 3-0.
UCD did net two late consolation goals through Hugh Douglas and Robbie Benson, but there was little to suggest a dramatic comeback was on the cards.
Benson’s goal may be in the draw for goal of the month, however, as his left-footed free-kick left Clarke with no chance.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke, McCormack, Bermingham, Foran, Hoare, Fahey, Brennan (Greene 80), Forrester (O’Brien 85), Bolger, Fagan (Fitzgerald 87), Byrne.
Substitutions: Gilmartin, O’Brien, Greene, Browne, Verdon, Bayly, Fitzgerald.
UCD: O’Donnell, Douglas, Mathews (Ben Mohamed 65), Ryan, Kavanagh, Creevy, Crowe (Molloy 65), Benson, O’Halloran, Belhout, Mulhall (Cannon 73).
Substitutions: Corbet, Coyne, Burke, Sloggett, Molloy, Cannon, Ben Mohamed.
Referee: Robert Harvey
Late, late show earns Athlone Town a point
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Football LOI marching on Soccer UCD