Mahon's men look like they're are in title race for the long haul

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION:Bohemians 1 St Patrick's Ath 1
Faherty 16

IT’S HARD to imagine how a better slot couldn’t have been found for this meeting between the two early leaders of the title race than one that put it up against one of the most anticipated Champions League games of the year.

Those who came along here, though, were rewarded with plenty of open football, a string of goal-scoring chances and, most significantly, the firmest evidence yet that St Patrick’s Athletic might have enough to push their hosts well beyond the opening weeks of the campaign.

Pete Mahon’s side had to hang on at times, particularly during the second half as the champions, having come from behind to equalise courtesy of Jason Byrne, sought to push on.

But early on they had more than matched their hosts, superiority that would might have put them in a commanding position had all of Vinny Faherty’s finishes been as good as what he produced 16 minutes in when he curled the ball low and beyond Chris O’Connor to the right corner.

The young striker had seen a more extravagant effort fly just past the left angle.

The visitors also had a goal disallowed for offside in a period that left the home supporters a little stunned and their own sensing it might be a night of celebration.

The home side returned from the break, however, looking more fired up than they had through the latter part of the first half, and, having sharpened their game noticeably, they didn’t take long to get back on level terms.

Not for the first time, Bohemians worked the ball nicely down the left and a well-placed cross picked Byrne out at the edge of the box just short of the far post. The striker failed to get a shot away at the first attempt, but squeezed his second effort between a couple of defenders and under the desperate dive of Gary Rogers.

It meant the end of the visiting side’s perfect defensive record, with the Inchicore outfit conceding for the first time in the league this season just two short of the 500 minute mark.

Within another four, it might have been two as Pat Fenlon’s men looked to build on their momentum, but by the time Paddy Madden had touched down again after heading Byrne’s cross home, the flag was up.

The champions retained the initiative, though, and a couple of times their opponents were lucky to get by. So impressive through the opening half, the central defensive partnership of Shane Guthrie and Conor Kenna started to look more vulnerable. Their aerial superiority was undermined first when Glenn Cronin was allowed a free header and forced a decent stop from Rogers, only for Madden to blast a straightforward follow-up well over.

Having done well but run out of steam, both Bohemians strikers were replaced late on, and the new pair almost made the decisive difference with six minutes left when Mark Quigley split the centre backs with a low through ball, only for Rogers to come smartly off his line to snuff out the danger before Raffaele Cretaro could connect.

It was, in the end, a hard but well-earned point for the visitors who will have left content they will not have to face opposition of this quality again for a little while.

Bohemians, on the other hand, head straight another of their big Dublin rivals, Shamrock Rovers, on Friday, knowing they will have to be more ruthless in front of goal.

BOHEMIANS:O'Connor; Shelley, Heary, Oman, Powell; Brennan, Cronin, Keegan, McGlynn; Byrne (Quigley, 82 mins), Madden (Cretaro, 78 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:Rogers; Pender, Guthrie, Kenna, Bermingham (Lynch, 63 mins); Guy, Mulcahy, S Byrne, Cash (Coughlan, 75 mins); P Byrne (McAllister, 85 mins), Faherty.

Referee:D McKeon (Dublin).