Pat’s hang on to beat Bohemians

St. Patrick’s Athletic 3 Bohemians 2

Two goals from Christy Fagan earned a come from behind win for St. Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park as they edged through to the semi-final of the FAI Ford Cup.

Despite a good start in which they took the lead, Bohemians had little answer to livewire striker Fagan who on another night might have had a hat-trick.

Cruising at 3-1 up, though, St. Patrick’s midfielder Greg Bolger being sent off on 68 minutes allowed Bohemians back into the game. Aidan Price headed home a Kevin Devaney corner on 81 minutes as Liam Buckley’s 10 men then hung on to make the last four.

Bohemians enjoyed the better start with Jason Byrne glancing a header from a Karl Moore cross wide on eight minutes.

Their passing sloppy, St. Patrick’s struggled to gain control as Bohemians posed questions on the counterattack.

St. Patrick’s defender Sean Hoare had to make a fine block tackle on Dinny Corcoran before the homeside were exposed down their left flank on 20 minutes.

A sublime ball from Devaney put Derek Pender in on the overlap and the right-back finished superbly, dinking the ball delightfully over the advancing Brendan Clarke.

That stirred a positive response from St. Patrick’s and they were level within three minutes. Bohemians didn’t deal with Killian Brennan’s free kick in from the left and Fagan dived in to head home from close range

A timely tackle at full stretch from Price nicked the ball off the toe of Fagan a minute later as St. Patrick’s fully gained the initiative.

Bolger and Mark Quigley then carved the visitors open to get Keith Fahey in on goal and force Dean Delany into the first significant stop of the game.

Some Quigley cleverness worked Delany further on 34 minutes, the winger flummoxing Roberto Lopes before hitting a 20-yard right-foot shot that the Bohemians goalkeeper stretched to tip over the top.

A piece of guile from Fagan brought about St. Patrick’s lead goal three minutes into the second half. The striker cleverly won a free kick against Bohemians skipper Dave Mulcahy some 25 yards out. And Brennan brilliantly lifted the ball over the wall with his left foot and into the right-hand corner of Delany’s net.

Fagan then all but sealed St. Patrick’s passage 10 minutes later.

Played in by Conan Byrne, Fagan’s close range shot had the sting taken out of it by Delany, but the ball spun up and over the keeper to bounce down into the net.

But the pendulum swung Bohemians’ way when Bolger was sent off for his second booking on 68 minutes.

Clarke had to make the save of the night seven minutes later to somehow adjust to push Eoin Wearen’s deflected shot round a post. Three minutes later he was there again to get down well to hold Byrne’s low drive.

Price then headed in Devaney’s corner to provide a grandstand finish but Bohemians couldn’t find an equaliser as Pat’s defended well to scrape over the line.

St. Patrick's Athletic: Clarke; O'Brien, Hoare, Oman, Bermingham; Bolger; Byrne (Forrester, 90+3), Fahey, Brennan (Chambers, 85), Quigley; Fagan.

Bohemians: Delany; Pender, Mulcahy, Price, Beattie; Devaney, Lopes, Wearen, Moore(Kavanagh, 56); Corcoran, J. Byrne.

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin)