Stephen O'Donnell reflects on scoring issues for the Saints

Macdara Ferris reports from Richmond Park

There was a new gaffer in the dugout but it was a similar story for the Saints last Friday night as their opponents shut them out in front of goal.

Stephen O’Donnell’s first home game in charge of the Athletic was a 0-0 stalemate with UCD. It was a game where they dominated possession and the chances in front of goal but they just couldn’t convert all it into all three points.

It was only the Saints second scoreless draw of the season but it was their 12^th competitive game of the year when they have failed to find the back of the net. They have scored just 13 goals at home in the league this season (with Cork City having the only worst record in the top division).  

“Scoring is the hardest part of football,” said the Saints new manager Stephen O’Donnell speaking after the game. “There were a couple of marginal offside decisions that didn’t go our way. That is just football.”

Three times the home side had the ball in the back of the net only for the assistant referee’s flag to signal offside. They also missed a myriad of chances including a one-on-one for Glen McAuley, who was making his third league start of the season, that was saved by Conor Kearns in the UCD goal. 

“You look to be more clinical and press home your advantage when you have it. St. Pat’s have been struggling to score goals all season. We are going to remedy that. We have good attacking players and we’ll work on that and try and improve it.

“I thought we could have controlled the game maybe better second half and pressed home our advantage but that is the way it goes.”

O’Donnell omitted top scorer Mickey Drennan from his match day squad, although that was noted it was more to do with his lack of game time following his six game suspension. Drennan who scored six goals in all competitions this season – three from the penalty spot – is set to start in Sunday’s Leinster Senior Cup game away to Cabinteely. 

Barry Murphy was handed his first league start of the season in goal as O’Donnell looks to give game time for all the players in his squad ahead of the end of the season. Gary Shaw, who has just the one league goal to his name this year, was named on the bench and came on in the second half as the Saints chased a goal. 

“We have a good squad. We are a lot of players who are chomping at the bit to come in and play. We are going to utilise our squad. We can only pick 11 to start so we have good players sitting on the bench who are waiting their chance.”

The point for Pat’s moved them level with fourth placed Derry City (who have a game in hand and an 18 goal difference advantage) and, with Bohs losing to Waterford, within two points of the Gypsies who are in final automatic European place in third. 

The Saints are still very much in the hunt for Europe especially should a side above them win the FAI Cup – if Bohs beat Crumlin on Monday, three of the sides in the cup semi-finals will be positioned above Pat’s in the table.

“Between now and the end of the season there are five games and we are looking to win every game we can and wherever that takes us at the end of the season we will see where that takes us.”

“I’ve enjoyed it [on training pitch]. It has been good. It is great getting an opportunity at a club like St. Pat’s. I’m going to grasp it with both hands and there will be no stone unturned to make St. Pat’s ultra-competitive and a force.”

Leinster Senior Cup Preview: Cabinteely -v- St Patrick's Athletic https://t.co/IykNbje5qOpic.twitter.com/iiESPVRTca

— Extratime.ie (@ExtratimeNews) September 14, 2019