St Patrick's A 2 UCD 2:ST PATRICK'S week of woe continued as they lost a 2-0 lead and had goalkeeper Gary Rogers and midfielder Shane McFaul both sent off as they scraped a draw.
But it was a point Martin Russell’s UCD, who also had a player dismissed late on, deserved as they were always in a match that produced plenty of incident.
UCD turned the game around inside a minute midway through the second half. Undeservedly trailing 2-0 at the break, a penalty on 71 minutes, which saw Rogers dismissed for taking down Darren Meenan, announced UCD’s revival, with Dean Marshall sending replacement goalkeeper Chris Bennion the wrong way from the spot.
A minute later they were level when right back Seán Harding’s cross was headed home by Graham Rusk.
St Patrick’s had started well, taking a fifth-minute lead when the prodigal Seán O’Connor shot home Jake Carroll’s cross.
The butt of a post prevented UCD from falling further behind on 15 minutes from David McMillan’s low shot from distance.
It was totally against the run of play, however, when McMillan doubled St Patrick’s lead on 44 minutes with a brilliant 25 yard shot to the top left corner.
An entertaining match ended in farce, though, as first, UCD had midfielder Meenan sent off by referee Derek Tomney for a second booking for dissent, when applauding his initial card. McFaul followed for a second yellow for not waiting for the whistle at a free-kick.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Pender, E McMillan, Kenna, Carroll; O’Connor (Bennion, 70 mins), Mulcahy, Bradley (Crowley, 41 mins), Doyle; Kavanagh (McFaul, half-time), D McMillan.
UCD: Barron; Harding, D. O’Connor, Leahy, Nangle; Marshall, Corry (Ledwith, 83 mins), Creevy (Russell, 65 mins), Meenan, P O’Connor; Rusk.
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).
