Report: St Pat's 2 - 0 Linfield
Credit:
Goals from Mark Quigley and Gary O’Neill handed Saint Patrick’s Athletic a vital first win of the 2008 Setanta Sports Cup, as the dominant eircom League of Ireland side comfortably overcame the challenge of Group Two leaders Linfield at Richmond Park on Tuesday evening. The Saints took the lead through Quigley early on, and they should have been well out of sight before O’Neill finally secured the three points with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining. With Derry drawing at Glentoran, the win sees the Inchicore club move up to second in the table.
The hosts got off to the best possible start as they hit the front inside just seven minutes. Ryan Guy sent striker Quigley clear on goal, and he fired into an empty net at the second attempt, after seeing his initial effort go past goalkeeper Alan Mannus but crash back off the upright. Five minutes later, Gary O’Neill found a way through, however, Michael Gault got back to thwart the ex-Shels hitman. Within sixty seconds, O’Neill thought he had doubled the Saints’ lead, however, Mannus pulled off a fantastic save to deny the 26-year-old.
Midway through the half, and as Pats continued to press, Quigley was in on goal again, however, this time, the striker couldn’t get the ball out of feet as the Linfield defence trundled back, before the 22-year-old had a penalty claim waved away in the ensuing play. Just shy of the half-hour, in a rare move forward, Linfield had a penalty shout of their own dismissed by referee Alan Kelly after Peter Thompson fell inside the area, before William Murphy had a header gathered by ‘keeper Barry Ryan from the resulting corner.
On 37 minutes, Gary Dempsey found himself in behind the visiting backline, however, with Mannus the last line of defence, the netminder made a wonderful stop as he got down to push the ball away from the midfielder’s feet. Within moments, Pats came close again, as Quigley sent a stinging 25-yard effort narrowly over the crossbar. Soon after, O’Neill was through again, however, with time and space, the striker miscued, as he dragged his shot across the goal, to the relief of a Linfield side who were at this stage on the ropes.
On 42 minutes, the siege continued, as Keith Fahey raced beyond the Blues defence, however, Pats’ star man was denied by a good Mannus stop, before, from the resulting corner, Guy should have, once more, made it 2-0. Fahey’s set-piece delivery found the unmarked American, whose powerful shot from ten-yards was brilliantly pushed away by the busy ‘keeper. With 90 seconds to the break, Pats again got a clear sight on goal as Quigley fired wide from 18-yards after turning his man well, before Guy shot over from a good position, as Pats went in with just one goal to show for their dominance.
Following the resumption, and a half-time change as Alan Kirby replaced the ill Dessie Byrne, Linfield began brightly and came within inches of equalising moments after the restart. Pats failed to clear despite numerous opportunities, with the ball coming to Paul McAreavey, who, after turning well inside the six-yard box, saw his effort go narrowly wide of Ryan’s right-hand post. Normal service was soon resumed, however, as Quigley sent sub Kirby clear with a neat pass, however, the former Longford midfielder fired his effort wide of the far post with Mannus beaten.
Close to the hour, Fahey capitalised on a Linfield mistake in defence before turning his man inside the box, however, the 25-year-old couldn’t find a way past Mannus as he shot straight at the ‘keeper. With twenty minutes remaining, Quigley jinked past the defence and tried his luck from long-range, with his effort drifting wide of the visiting goal. Moments later, Fahey supplied Quigley again with a superb pass, however, the forward, having done well to stay onside, shot straight at Mannus from 18-yards.
It was to matter little, however, as Pats eventually made it two in their very next attack. O’Neill picked up possession inside the Linfield half and carried the ball forward, before unleashing a wonderful 30-yard strike to the back of net, as Mannus, for the first time in the match, was powerless to prevent a second. That strike proved enough to net maximum points for Johnny McDonnell’s men, as Linfield, matching what had gone before, failed to raise a gallop in the final quarter of the match.
Saint Patrick’s Athletic (4-4-2): Barry Ryan; Damien Lynch, Joe O'Cearuill (Stephen Brennan 84), Stephen Paisley, John Frost; Ryan Guy, Keith Fahey, Gary Dempsey, Dessie Byrne (Alan Kirby 46); Gary O'Neill, Mark Quigley (Michael Keane 88).
Subs Not Used: Robbie Horgan (GK).
Booked: Lynch (15).
Linfield FC (4-5-1): Alan Mannus; Steven Douglas, William Murphy, Michael Gault, Pat McShane (Aidan O’Kane 69); Mark Dickson, Conor Downey (Damien Curran 71), Jamie Mulgrew, Paul McAreavey, Thomas Stewart (Oran Kearney 63); Peter Thompson.
Booked: Douglas (11), Stewart (39), McShane (45+1), Gault (59).
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).
Attendance: 5,300
Man of the Match: Keith Fahey (Saint Patrick’s Athletic).
