LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION St Patrick's Ath 3 Bohemians 1:A BRILLIANT goal from John Lester put the gloss on their biggest win of the season as St Patrick's beat Bohemians for the first time at Richmond Park in six years.
Earlier second-half goals from Ryan Guy and Jason Gavin were followed by Lester’s stunning strike as Jeff Kenna’s beleaguered side avenged their 3-0 defeat at Dalymount in March, for only their second win in eight games.
Despite it being Bohemians’ fourth league defeat of the season – two more than they lost in the whole of last year – Pat Fenlon’s side stay a point clear at the top.
That their captain and key striker Mark Quigley failed a fitness test on a dead leg suffered in Derry midweek scarcely helped the St Patrick’s preparations. That added to other injuries for Kenna who had little option but to pack five across midfield with Jamie Harris up front on his own.
Bohemians, not surprisingly, had much the better shape about them as they took the game to the home side, Killian Brennan firing wide from a free-kick on nine minutes. Restored to the starting 11 following injury, Graham Carey skipped past the St Patrick’s right-back Noel Haverty on 17 minutes only to slice wide under pressure from Dave Partridge.
But St Patrick’s were working hard, epitomised by Harris who did well on 22 minutes to knock down Enda Stevens’ ball for John Lester who wasn’t too far off target with a snap shot. Harris unsettled the Bohemians defence again just past the half-hour mark when out-muscling Brian Shelley on to a long ball over the top. Off balance, his shot could hardly be described as such and goalkeeper Brian Murphy easily gathered.
Bohemians had another let-off within a minute when Kyle Moran put Guy in on goal. Having made the run and found the space, the little Californian’s finish let him down as he put it well over the top. But he made amends within nine minutes of the second half with his first goal of the season gleefully giving St Patrick’s the lead. Lester’s free-kick wasn’t cleared and the ball fell for Guy just inside the box and his right-foot shot beat Murphy at his right post.
Fenlon soon made changes with club skipper Owen Heary and striker Glen Crowe coming in and they were almost level within a minute. Carey’s shot was going wide until it struck team-mate Paul Keegan and needed an agile stop from Gary Rogers.
But St Patrick’s doubled their lead on 68 minutes. Another Lester delivery, this time from a corner, whizzed across the box to be met by Gavin whose shot flew low back into the far corner.
Six minutes later Lester sealed the points. The industrious Harris knocked down a Dave Partridge free-kick and Lester’s perfect volley from 25 yards arrowed to the top corner of the net.
Bohemians pushed hard and got a consolation goal on 85 minutes when Heary headed home.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Haverty, Gavin, Partridge, Stevens; Moran (B Ryan, 53 mins), Lester, Maher, Lynch, Guy; Harris.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; A. Murphy, Shelley, Oman, Powell; Brennan (Heary, 63 mins), Keegan, Cronin (Deegan, 73 mins), Carey; Fenn (Crowe, 63 mins), J Byrne.
Referee: Dave McKeon(Dublin).
