AIRTRICITY LEAGUE, PREMIER DIVISION: St Patrick's Ath 1 Sligo Rovers 0:ST PAT'S put a huge dent in the title aspirations of Sligo Rovers with this win at Richmond Park on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 1,414.
Rovers dominated for long periods and had plenty of opportunities to secure all three points but Conor Kenna’s deflected header on 67 minutes stole the points for the home side. The win reignites Pat’s hopes of claiming European football for next season through their league finishing position.
Sligo, held scoreless in the league for the first time since a 0-0 draw with Pat’s in July, had looked a little sharper than their hosts and will feel they should have taken at least a point from the Inchicore venue.
Iarfhlaith Davoren went close for Rovers on 13 minutes with a low drive having met Joseph Ndo’s pass but Gary Rogers in the Pat’s goal saved well. A minute later a ricochet off Aaron Greene narrowly missed the Pat’s goal before Matthew Blinkhorn slipped in the area just as he was about to connect with John Russell’s pass.
Kenna did well on 32 minutes to clear Blinkhorn’s blistering inswinging cross at the near post before the inrushing Danny Ventre could connect.
Substitute Eoin Doyle nearly put Rovers ahead on 61 minutes with a rasping shot from the right that just narrowly cleared the bar.
Pat’s took the lead against the run of play when Kenna got on the end of Bradley’s free kick from the right and his header deflected past former Pat’s goalkeeper Brendan Clarke in the Rovers goal.
ST PATRICK'S ATH:Rogers; Bermingham, E McMillan, Kenna, Pender; Doyle, Mulcahy (D McMillan, 37), Bradley, Crowley, Murphy (North, 78); Kavanagh (Shortall, 89).
SLIGO ROVERS:Clarke; Davoren, Peers, McGuinness, Keane; Greene (Cretaro, 70), Ryan, Ventre (Kirby, half-time), Russell, Ndo; Blinkhorn (Doyle, 58).
Referee:T Connolly (Dublin).
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