League Report: Bohemians 0 - 4 St Patrick's Athletic

A complete performance from St. Patrick's Athletic saw them dominate Bohemians 4-0 in their Premier Division clash on Friday evening, including an early goal-of-the-season contender for Conan Byrne.

 

A goal kick from Shane Supple dropped to Byrne inside the box and, striking it first time, he sent the ball flying into the Bohs net from inside his own half, scoring his 100th league goal in the process.

 

Byrne would add another goal at the beginning of the second half and, along with goals from Christy Fagan and Kurtis Byrne, Pats won their second Dublin Derby in succession with a complete performance – their best of the season by far.

 

Bohs started the game with trouble right from the off after a heavy collision between Jamie Doyle and Pats' full back Michael Barker saw the Gypsies' forward stretchered off with an apparent knee injury.

 

The home side were able to muster the first chance of the opening half, after Patrick Kavanagh nearly slid in Kaleem Simon, before a smashing volley from Kavanagh went just over.

 



A looped cross in from a 14th minute free kick by Lorcan Fitgerald met perfectly the right boot of Dan Byrne from 12 yards out, but the defender was unable to add to the goal he mustered last week against Shelbourne.

 

Pats made a breakthrough in the 21st minute after a long ball from Alex O'Hanlon met Kurtis Byrne, but Fagan just missed the resulting cross.

 

The away side continued to attack the Gypsies' full backs with through balls, and a hoofed ball upfield from Barker put Kurtis Byrne through, but Shane Supple made a good save low to his right.

 



JJ Lumney then had a chance blocked as Pats, continuously looking to stretch Bohs, looked the more likely to score, and it would prove so in the 38th minute.

 

Fagan, collecting the ball in the middle of the park, played a great through ball out right to Conan Byrne, who sent it back into his path on the edge of the box. It took three bites of the cherry but after two deflected efforts the ever-persistent Fagan smashed home low to Supple's left.

 

As messy as the first goal was, the second was anything but, as Supple's goal kick was sent right back by Byrne, first time, from more than 60 yards out, sailing over the defeated Supple's head and rippling the back of the net without ever touching the ground.

 

 

Right at the end of the half, Fagan had a glorious opportunity from two yards out, but a low cross from Kurtis Byrne bobbled in front of him and he scooped it over.

 

The perfect start for Pats to the second half came when an over-the-top ball from Lumney was not cleared by a missed Fitzgerald header, and Byrne pounced for goal number 101 and to give the Inchicore club an unassailable lead.

 

Another Lumney-Conan Byrne combination drew a brave stop from Supple, sprawling at the Pats' number seven's feet, before,in the 53rd minute, Fagan went down worryingly holding his hamstring.

 

Replacement Josh O'Hanlon almost pounced on a loose ball at the feet of Supple, before an audacious Kavanagh teed himself up for his own 30 yard volley for Bohs first shot of the half in the 56th minute – though a 30 yard self-volley should illustrate how bad the Bohs collapse had been.

 

A quick break in the 63rd minute for Bohs from a Pats corner led to a chance for Casey, but he was impressively blocked by Lee Desmond, and, as Bohs would begin to accelerate it was Desmond constantly cutting out passes that largely kept them at bay.

 

Across a four minute spell Desmond halted three Bohs counters with two interceptions and a cleverly-timed challenge on Simon, before a combination between the two Byrne's for Pats, Kurtis and Conan, led to Kurtis shot being blocked by Bohs' Byrne, Dan (with Conan better positioned beyond him).

 

With 20 minutes to go Bohs best chance game with a through ball met by Fitzgerald, whose shot was impressively fingertipped away by Conor O'Malley, and, from the resulting corner, a strong header from Byrne flashed over.

 

Josh O'Hanlon, no sooner than he replaced the injured Fagan, was soon removed himself with an apparent rib injury, but Alex created a glorious chance in the 85th minute for himself, a through ball to Kurtis Byrne before arriving into the box himself, but his sliding effort from six yards was somehow put wide.

 

Another Bohs counter saw Simon blocked off by the impressive Desmond – man of the match on any other night – but Philip Gannon was able to tip-toe through for a late chance, but his touch let him down and O'Malley had an easy job collecting.

 

A corner swung in by Fitzgerald with two minutes to go was met with handball chants to no avail, before Saints made it 4-0 inside stoppage time.

 

A deflection in the Phibsboro side's box sent the ball up in the air and Kurtis Byrne, watching it drop over his shoulder, smashed home a fantastic volley leaving substitute goalkeeper Greg Murray with zero chance of stopping it, sending the Inchicore faithful home delirious and leaving the home fans shellshocked.

 

 

Bohemians: Shane Supple (Greg Murray 72); Derek Pender, Rob Cornwall, Dan Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Georgie Poynton, Patrick Kavanagh, Oscar Brennan, Keith Ward (Philip Gannon 57), Kaleen Simon; Jamie Doyle (Dean Casey 6).

Subs Not Used: Greg Murray (gk), Stephen Best, Fuad Sule, Steven Nolan, Dylan Hynes.

Booked: Jamie Doyle (6)

 

St. Patrick’s Athletic: Conor O'Malley; Michael Barker, Lee Desmond, Gavin Peers, Ian Bermingham; Conan Byrne, Patrick Cregg, Kurtis Byrne, Alex O'Hanlon, Jonathan Lumney (Sam Verdon 90); Christy Fagan (Josh O'Hanlon 55 (Billy Dennehy 81)).

Subs Not Used: Barry Murphy (gk), Rory Feely, Billy Dennehy, Graham Kelly, Darragh Markey.

Booked: None.

 

Referee: Jim McKell

Attendance: 2,600

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Conan Byrne (St Patrick's Athletic)

 

 

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