Soccer

St Pat’s pull themselves out of the relegation zone – for now at least

A Graham Kelly winner was enough to give them a home victory over Derry City

St. Pat’s Graham Kelly celebrates scoring the winner against Derry City. Photo: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Fri Jul 14 2017 - 22:00

St Patricks Athletic 2 Derry City 1

Graham Kelly scored the winner as St Patrick’s battled from behind to give themselves a massive lift with a win over Derry City.

A first win in nine games moved Liam Buckley’s side out of the relegation zone, overnight at least.

Victory was fully deserved in a pulsating match which saw St Pat’s roll up their sleeves to graft for a morale-boosting three points.

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Despite dominating possession and creating a host of chances, the home side found themselves behind at the interval.

Kelly has wasted a glorious opening to give Pat’s a 20th minute lead when heading straight at Ger Doherty after Christy Fagan flicked on skipper Ian Bermigham’s cross.

The home side then had two penalty claims denied when first Fagan and then Killian Brennan appeared to be fouled in the area.

Derry were very much in the match, though, troubling Pat’s on the counter.

Barry McNamee twice got in from clever Rory Patterson through balls only to shoot wide.

Conor O’Malley then rescued St Pat’s with a sublime save when somehow touching Harry Monaghan’s drive onto the bar before Derry snatched the lead on 42 minutes.

Left unmarked from Nicky Low’s corner, Ronan Curtis sent a looping header to the net for a fourth goal in five games.

Undeterred St Pat’s chased the game hard in the second half with Derry having a right let off on 61 minutes.

Dennehy, Kelly and Kurtis Byrne were involved to set up Fagan whose shot was cleared off the line first by Darren Cole and then Doherty after a ricochet off Dean Jarvis.

Another St Pat’s penalty shout for a handball wasn’t given before, from the resulting corner on 67 minutes, Cole impeded substitute Rory Feely with referee Rob Rogers pointing to the spot.

Kurtis Byrne drove the penalty to the top corner to deservedly equalise.

Their tails up, St Pat’s then went on to win it with a cracking goal on 77 minutes.

Feely sent Conan Byrne away on the right to get by a defender to pull the ball back for Kelly who drove his shot home.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: O'Malley; Barker, Balk, Desmond, Bermingham; Brennan (Feely, 56); C. Byrne, Kelly, K. Byrne (Markey, 83), B. Dennehy; Fagan (J. O'Hanlon, 90+1)

DERRY CITY: G. Doherty; Monaghan, Cole, Jarvis, B. Doherty (Holden, 68); McEneff, Low; Schubert (Boyle, 73), McNamee, Curtis (Daniels, 83); Patterson.

Referee: Rob Rogers (Dublin).