The league champions maintained their unbeaten run by taking full points from Waterford United in a fast-flowing but controversial game at the Regional Sports Centre.

The home side were bitterly disappointed, because they matched the visitors for football, should have scored on several occasions and then went behind against the run of play through a controversial penalty.

St Patrick's took the lead in the fourth minute. A free from the right by Eddie Gormley had been cleared when referee John McDermott called play back and awarded a penalty against Joe Harkin for an off-the-ball offence against Trevor Molloy.

Gormley wasn't put off in the least by the baying crowd and calmly slotted the ball, with a right-footed effort, into the corner of Michael Devine's net.

United had enjoyed the best of the very early exchanges and could have scored in the fourth 11th and 17th minutes, through Robert Griffin, Mark Reid and Tommy Lynch.

Devine pulled off a super save on 24 minutes to deny Pakie Lynch, who connected beautifully with a Robbie Devereaux corner.

Padraig Dully should have equalised for the Blues on the hour, but he fluffed the best chance of the game when he ballooned his shot over the bar from seven yards with the goal at his mercy.

St Patrick's went two up on 83 minutes when Ian Gilzean stooped low to head Devereaux's free goalward from close range. Devine got both hands to the ball, but to his horror it spun away into the corner of the net.

Karl Gannon made a difference for Waterford when he was introduced on 65 minutes.

Waterford Utd: M Devine, J Power, J Frost, T Lynch, S Riordan, J Harkin, T McGrath, M Reid, P Dully, A Reynolds, R Griffin. Subs: B Wood for Dully (60 mins); K Gannon for Harkin (65 mins).

St Patrick's Ath: T Wood, T Crolly, K Doyle, P Lynch, M Moody, E Gormley, P Osam, T Molloy, I Gilzean, M Russell, R Devereaux. Subs: K Long for Osam (half-time); P Campbell for Lynch (90 mins).

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).