LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION St Patrick's Ath 1 Shamrock Rovers 1:THOUGH THEY move a point a point clear of Bohemians at the top of the table, St Patrick's effectively lost ground to their title rivals last night at Richmond Park where, having dominated the first half of what gradually developed into a highly-exciting encounter, they were rather fortunate to take a point in the end.
Mark Quigley had the home team in front just eight minutes in with the striker stepping away from his marker to cleverly sidefoot a Keith Fahey cross past Barry Murphy for his eighth goal in six league games. But having done well to keep the deficit to just one until the break, Rovers burst into life after it and should have had more to show for their efforts by the end than Pádraig Amond's equaliser.
Before the pattern of the game had changed so dramatically, there had been a handful of decent chances for the league leaders to capitalise on their early superiority. Quigley looked lively while those behind him posed a constant threat and the striker went close enough to scoring himself with a free-kick that flew just over the angle 10 minutes before the break.
At the heart of the Rovers defence, Barry Ferguson, whose recent knee injury had made him a doubt beforehand, never looked right and when he made way for Tadgh Purcell seven minutes before half-time Pat Scully looked to switch things around a little, moving Darragh Maguire back into defence and Stephen Rice into the heart of midfield.
The slight change of shape didn't make much difference prior to the interval but after it Rovers stepped up their game considerably and the second striker helped them to exert a good deal of pressure on their rivals.
There was still the occasional chance for St Patrick's to add to their lead with Quigley going close when Aidan Price got caught badly in possession on the edge of his area but suddenly Barry Ryan was getting the odd bit of work to do too.
The goalkeeper looked well capable of coping when Purcell glided through the defence and shot almost straight at him but Darren Stapleton's effort a little later caught him off guard a little and the goalkeeper must have been relieved to see the ball fly into the side-netting.
The Rovers players clearly took heart from the chances and their momentum built. John McDonnell's men were now mainly looking to strike on the break, something that was proving difficult given the speed with which they generally conceded possession after gaining it.
Their opponents, on the other hand, were exerting fairly constant pressure and they got their equaliser 15 minutes from time when Danny O'Connor turned and shot off the post before Amond arrived to turn the rebound in.
Late on, they should have taken the other two points. Amond was sent racing clear by Mark Leech but his low shot, struck under pressure from Stephen Paisley, was well saved by Ryan. Eoin Doyle then failed to make proper contact with the striker's finely weighted cross from the left when he had looked certain to head home.
For a few seconds the home fans thought their men might just steal the win when Fahey broke out in the dying seconds and Rovers found themselves suddenly outnumbered at the back.
Ryan Guy looked slightly better placed than Quigley to carry the attack into the final third but the American's finish was poor and the Rovers support found themselves delighting in a result that is of more significance really to arch-rivals Bohemians than their own side.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:Ryan; Lynch, Harris, Paisley (O'Cearuill, 83 mins) , Rogers; Ryan (Kirby, 64 mins), Fahey, Dempsey, O'Brien (Byrne, 73 mins); Guy, Quigley.
SHAMROCK ROVERS:Murphy; O'Brien, Ferguson (Purcell, 38 mins), Price, Flynn; Madden (Doyle, 59 mins), O'Connor, Maguire, Stapleton (Leech, 64 mins); Rice; Amond.
Referee:A Kelly (Cork).
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