Sport

Kelly settles the issue

St Patrick's Athletic continued their good start to the season but it was a less than satisfactory performance from the home …

Sat Aug 25 2001 - 01:00

St Patrick's Athletic continued their good start to the season but it was a less than satisfactory performance from the home team who had to rely on a spot of brilliance from Liam Kelly on 31 minutes to settle the contest.

This was a game that never really took off with neither team able to establish any fluency on a frustrating night for the fans.

There were moments of relief with St Pat's winger Mbabazi Livingstone providing a cutting edge down the right. Not surprisingly when he was eventually withdrawn he was awarded a generous applause by the St Pat's faithful.

And as the game wore on, the home side began to channel more ball into the Ugandan international, a ploy which put Derry City under severe pressure.

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But it was St Pat's manager Pat Dolan who was feeling the heat as his midfield continually gave away needless possession.

Young striking Ger McCarthy was sacrificed as Dolan opted for strength in the centre with Robbie Griffin coming on six minutes before the break to partner Paul Osam.

The opening exchanges did not provide much in terms of goalmouth action but St Pat's nonetheless came reasonably close to an early score when McCarthy just failed to get on the end of a Kelly shot after the former Home Farm striker had initially miscued.

In St Pat's next attack on 29 minutes, a sweeping move started by Martin Russell on the left saw the play eventually switched to the opposite wing to Livingstone, who quickly sent a ball over to Kelly. Fortunately for Derry, Darren Kelly managed to get in the way of the shot.

But the signs were not heeded by Derry when two minutes later Livingston delivered an inch-perfect cross to Kelly.

His glancing header gave Russell Payne no chance in the Derry goal, with the ball going straight into the roof of the net.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: L Kelly: Burke, Maguire, Foley, Croly; Russell, Osam, Marney, Livingstone (Holt 67, Harris 85), McCarthy (Griffin 39), Kelly

DERRY CITY: Payne: McCallion, Kelly, McLaughlin, Hargan; Beckett, T McCallion, Doherty, Phillips (Moran 54), Hughes, Parkhouse (Coyle 48)