St Patrick's lack of quality up front proves costly in title race

Drogheda Utd 0 St Patrick's Ath 0:BOTH OF these teams have probably already exceeded expectations this season and if the Dubliners can emulate last night's opponents and go on and win a cup then they too will mark the campaign as a major success. After a game like this, though, it is a little hard to understand how these two sides are as close to leaders Sligo Rovers. However, the team from the west may well address that tonight.

With only a winning team here in a position to mount a serious challenge to Ian Barraclough’s side over the next few weeks, the stakes were high but the quality was more mixed. Both sides chased the win, particularly St Pat’s, who were significantly improved by the introduction of Chris Forrester after an hour, but neither had the quality up front to secure the three points.

Greg Bolger, Jake Carroll, Vinny Faherty all had efforts at grabbing a winner during the last half hour but the first two missed the target and the third didn’t manage to seriously trouble Gabriel Sava. With a minute or so remaining Forrester had a great chance but the keeper reacted well to save with an outstretched foot.

Liam Buckley’s men had the better of it but they could hardly feel hard done by.

“We tried to win the game to be fair,” said the manager afterwards. “We threw people on to try to change it, pushed players forward and thought we controlled it to a certain degree in the second half. The last third is an issue, though.”

Mick Cooke was similarly upbeat, insisting that with Sligo still having five tough games to play, his side would stay focused.

Neither side started especially well and while both produced some decent passages of passing in midfield it was midway through the opening half before the game’s first real scoring opportunity arrived. It fell to Jake Kelly who might have done a good deal better with a shot in the turn after Seán Brennan had badly fluffed an attempt to clear a low cross from the right. The midfielder attempt flew well over, though. Twelve minutes later Christy Fagan’s low volley was wide of the target.

Peter Hynes rarely got the opportunity to bring the Brennan brothers into things. However, the trio managed to generate a couple of chances, with Seán forcing to Barry Murphy into an awkward save at one stage before Philip Hand skimmed the top of the bar with a curling free kick.

There was a shout for a penalty too when United claimed Ger O’Brien had stopped Paul Crowley’s shot with his hand. By the end, though, they looked no more like potential champions than the visitors.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Sava; Gannon. Prendergast, McNally, Hand; Foley, Crowley; S Brennan (Brady, 71 mins), R Brennan, G Brennan; Hynes (Mulvenna. 89 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Murphy; O'Brien, Flynn, Kenna (Browne, (half-time), Bermingham; Chambers; O'Connor, Bolger, Carroll, Kelly (Forrester, 61 mins); Fagan (Faherty, 81 mins).

Referee: P Sutton.