St Patrick’s Athletic go two points clear at top with win over Bohemians

Bohemians 0 St Patrick's Athletic 2

A fourth goal in as many games from Christy Fagan helped send St Patrick's Athletic two points clear at the top of the table as this dominant display at Dalymount Park extended their unbeaten league run to 11 games.

With UCD and Bray Wanderers both winning, it was a damaging night for Bohemians who have dropped to second bottom of the table. St Patrick’s were unchanged for the third successive league game with Bohemians bringing Stephen Traynor and Chris Lyons back into their side in matching their visitors’ 4-3-3 line-up.

With no shortage of confidence in the side on the back of their unbeaten run, St Patrick’s started brightly, forcing three early corners before John Russell worked Dean Delany in the Bohemians goal from distance on 14 minutes.

Then, just when Bohemians looked to have worked their way into the game, they found themselves a goal down.

Chris Lyons' header from Andy Mulligan's cross registered Bohemians' first effort on goal on 24 minutes. But right from goalkeeper Brendan Clarke's throw out to Greg Bolger, St Patrick's took the lead.

Sublime pass
Bolger helped the ball on to Russell's whose sublime through ball put Fagan in to slide the ball under Delany.

Two minutes later St Patrick’s doubled their lead. Bohemians lost possession cheaply in midfield allowing Chris Forrester to sweep the ball wide left to Ian Bermingham whose cross struck defender Derek Pender on the arm.

Alan Kelly didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot with Killian Brennan duly sending Delany the wrong way as he emphatically drove the penalty to the roof of the net.

It might have been three on 39 minutes but Fagan failed to repeat his earlier composure as he shot wide of the far post.
BOHEMIANS: Delany; Pender, Mulcahy, Byrne, Nangle (O'Leary, 67 mins); S Murray, Traynor (Lopes, h/t), McEvoy; Lyons, Scully, Mulligan (Moore, 83 mins).
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Clarke; O'Brien, Kenna, Browne (Pridce, 76 mins), Bermingham; Russell, Bolger, Brennan; Byrne, Fagan (Flood, 86 mins), Forrester.
Attendance: 1,878.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).