St Patrick's win third on spin

St Patrick's 2 Dundalk 0:MARK LEECH and Kyle Moran got the goals as St Patrick's exorcised the demons of their humiliating opening night defeat to Galway with a third win on the spin. But it was a bitter sweet night for Leech who hobbled off early in the second half and was taken to hospital with a leg injury.

His replacement Moran sealed the points with the home side’s second goal on 79 minutes before midfielder Gary Dempsey was also taken off on a stretcher late on and ferried to hospital with a similar injury.

Dundalk, not surprisingly, had much of the defending to do as St Pat’s took the game to them. Despite their possession, Jeff Kenna’s side didn’t carve Dundalk open until the move of the half on 25 minutes just failed to bring the opening goal. A string of neat, short passes resulted in Mark Quigley setting up Cawley who drilled narrowly wide off his weaker left foot.

Dundalk did counter-attack cleverly, though, and St Pat’s were lucky not to concede a penalty when captain Jason Gavin appeared to pull down Darren Mansaram on 27 minutes. Dundalk were further aggrieved nine minutes later when referee Tom Connolly awarded a free-kick to the home side when Chris Turner tangled with Quigley, despite the Saints’ striker handling the ball.

But there was nothing ambiguous about Cawley’s delivery and Leech rose well to beat Chris Bennion with a downward header to his bottom left corner.

Another poor decision by Connolly then incensed the home side five minutes before the break when Ryan Guy slipped Quigley in on goal only for him to be tripped by Bennion.

Bennion then made a terrific one-handed save early in the second half to deprive Guy before Dundalk enjoyed a sustained period of pressure; midfielder Michael Daly almost levelling on 69 minutes, cutting past Cawley to curl a right-foot shot that shaved Gary Rogers’s crossbar.

Dundalk had some defending to do within minutes, though, as Dempsey threaded the ball through for the run of Quigley with substitute Simon Kelly having to make a timely interception.

That lifted St Pat’s and their second goal arrived on 79 minutes. Damian Lynch flicked on Cawley’s corner and Moran arrived at the back post to hook the ball home.

Guy might have added a third goal on 81 minutes but shot wide having rounded Bennion.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Lynch, Gavin, Partridge, Stevens (Harris, 89 mins); Guy, Dempsey (Byrne, 87 mins), Cawley, D. Ryan; Quigley, Leech (Moran, 55 mins).

DUNDALK: Bennion; Shaun Kelly (Simon Kelly, 51 mins), Heary (Mulvenna, 90+3 mins), Burns, Rogers; O’Callaghan, Daly, Turner, Singh; O’Brien (McGinlay, 75 mins), Mansaram.

Referee: Tom Connolly (Dublin).