League Report: St. Patrick’s Athletic 0 – 1 Sligo Rovers

Macdara Ferris reports from Richmond Park

The Saints suffered their third defeat in row as Sligo Rovers earned a 1-0 victory in Richmond Park thanks to their New Zealand striker Max Mata as they earned their first clean sheet of the season.

The victory for John Russell’s men moves them above St. Pat’s in the table after the Athletic finished the match with ten men after Eoin Doyle’s straight red card in injury time at the end of the game.

With a quick four day turnaround from Friday’s fixtures, both sides made switches from their respective defeats.

Sligo Rovers had lost 2-1 in Tallaght and Greg Bolger speaking afterwards had noted his unhappiness of having to come back up to Dublin on Bank Holiday Monday – the Bit O’ Red goalscorer against the Hoops missed out due to injury with Eanna Clancy dropping to the bench as Lukas Browning and John Mahon came in.

Tim Clancy made three changes from his team's 2-0 loss in Derry with Adam Murphy, Jason McClelland and Conor Carty coming in as Eoin and Mark Doyle along with Jamie Lennon droppoing to the bench.

The home supporters packed into a sunny Richmond Park for this old school 3pm kick off and some early set pieces from their team put pressure on the visitors.

Jake Mulraney whipped a free kick in from the left and a corner kick from the right. However the Bit O’ Red were able to deal with the aerial threat from Noah Lewis from these and also Thijs Timmermans’ corner from the left.

Sligo Rovers certainly looked to bring the game to the Athletic just as they had to Shamrock Rovers four days previously. Twice from sweeping moves low shots drifted wide of Dean Lyness’ goal when really they should have worked the English goalkeeper.

Will Fitzgerald on eight minutes and Kailin Barlow, off a move that had Fitzgerald centrally involved, 15 minutes in were the culprits.

Lyness was worked just before that after a Luke McNicholas clearance coming out quickly from his goal to cut out a Chris Forrester chance ballooned all the way on target.

Jason McClelland’s shot with the outside of his boot just flashed by McNicholas’ goal and that was a near as the Saints came to finding a goal in the first half.

Tim Clancy lost Thijs Timmermans to a knock in first half injury time just before the players trooped off with the match scoreless at the break.

The home team started the second half really brightly and pegged back the Bit O’ Red for the opening ten minutes of the second period.

However, the deadlock was broken in the 56^th minute by the visitors as Max Mata grabbed his ninth goal of the season.

He was involved in the move initially and then got into the box and on the end of Johan Brannefalk's cross from the right to head home from close range with Lyness losing out as he came for the ball.

Chasing the game, Tim Clancy made a triple change on 66 minutes brining on Tommy Lonergan, Eoin Doyle and Jay McGrath. Five minutes later the Saints made their final change with Serge Atakyi coming on to add more attacking options for the home side.

Sligo Rovers slowed the game down – referee Neil Doyle put McNicholas in the book as the goalkeeper wasted too much time late on with his goalkicks.

There was no be no joy for Tim Clancy’s side in the search for an equaliser though despite their late pressure and they ended the game a man down.

Eoin Doyle received his marching orders after an over the top challenge on Will Fitzgerald as the Bit O’ Red took a short corner at the death.

The Saints will maybe be thankful that they face Cork City in their next game.

Meanwhile Sligo Rovers are now looking positively up the table with two home games to come against Dundalk and Shelbourne.

St. Patrick's Athletic: Dean Lyness; Carl Axel Sjoberg (Jay McGrath 66), Sam Curtis, Noah Lewis, Anto Breslin; Thijs Timmermans (Vladislav Kreida 45); Adam Murphy (Thomas Lonergan 66), Jason McClelland (Serge Atakayi 71), Chris Forrester, Jake Mulraney; Conor Carty (Eoin Doyle 66).
Subs not used: David Odumosu, Ben McCormack, Mark Doyle.
Booked: Conor Carty (23), Jay McGrath (90+6)

Sent off: Eoin Doyle (90)

Sligo Rovers: Luke McNicholas; Johan Brannefalk (Daniel Lafferty 84), Nando Pijnaker, John Mahon, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan, Lukas Browning; Frank Liivak, Kailin Barlow (Stefan Radosavljevic 46), William Fitzgerald; Max Mata (David Cawley 77).

Subs not used: Richard Brush, John Vahey, Éanna Clancy, Owen Elding, Eli Rooney.
Booked: Johan Brannefalk (31), Lukas Browning (72), David Cawley (81), Luke McNicholas (82), Will Fitzgerald (86), John Mahon (90+6)

Referee: Neil Doyle
Attendance: 4,265
extratime.com Player of the Match:Max Mata (Sligo Rovers)

The Candystripes have the potential to go top of the table on Bank Holiday Monday in front of the live RTÉ TV cameras

Kick off 7.15pmhttps://t.co/7hnF1Khyoxpic.twitter.com/cCYzG2lvdW

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) May 1, 2023