League Report: Bohemians 2 - 2 St Patrick's Athletic

Patrick O'Connor reports from Dalymount Park

Stephen Kenny was within three minutes of claiming his first win as manager of St Patrick's Athletic only to see Bohemians get an injury time equaliser in what was a cracking game played before 4,431 fans at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

The game ended 2-2 and in the overall analysis a draw was most certainly a very fair result, albeit that the point gained won’t do much for the prospects of either side if they have any remaining ambitions of catching up with league leaders Shelbourne.

The game got off to a very unfortunate start with a clash of heads between Bohemians Aboubacar Keita and Ruairi Keating within ten seconds of the kick off.

The game was held up for 11 minutes as medical personnel attended to Keating who was eventually stretchered off to be replaced by Cian Kavanagh.

The visitors seemed unaffected by the early disruption to their team as they took the lead in the 28^th minute through a Chris Forrester penalty.

Jake Mulraney won a corner for Pats and from the resultant cross Mason Melia was upended in the box with Forrester then confidently dispatching the penalty to make it one nil to the visitors.

The lead did not last long however as by the 40^th minute the Gypsies had drawn level.

Jordan Flores, who was very much the orchestrator of most of Bohemians better moves, played a ball in behind Pats left back Jay McClelland for Dylan Connolly and his low driven cross was flashed to the net by James Akintunde.

There was an additional 11 minutes of injury time due to the Keating injury and in the sixth minute of that period the Saints regained the lead.

Bohs carelessly lost the ball having won a free kick and in a quick counter attack Romal Palmer found Kavanagh in the box and he slotted the ball past Kacper Chorazka to leave it advantage Pats at the half time break.

The second half was a bit scrappy, however Bohs got on top as the half progressed and some substitutions by Alan Reynolds were the catalyst for the home side to draw level.

Kenny’s side were hanging on to their slender lead as the game entered five minutes of added time after the 90 minutes had elapsed, but in the 92^nd minute Bohs forced a well-deserved equaliser.

Substitute Nickson Okosun did very well to shield the ball and make progress down the right wing and when he played it back to Akintunde to fire in a cross, another substitute Danny Grant was at the far post and his looping header evaded the Pats keeper Danny Rogers to the delight of the home fans.

The result means that both teams are still in the lower half of the table as we go past the half way stage of the league, with Bohs in a slightly better position in that they two games in hand over their Dublin rivals.

Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Aboubacar Keita, Patrick Kirk, Martin Miller (Luke Matheson 46), Jevon Mills; Dylan Connolly (Nickson Okosun 86), Jordan Flores (Dayle Rooney 70), Declan McDaid (Filip Piszczek 70), Adam McDonnell (Daniel Grant 86), James McManus; Oluwaseun Akintunde.

Subs not used: James Talbot, Jake Carroll, Michael Lilander, Cian Byrne.

Booked: Dylan Connolly (16), Aboubacar Keita (42),Patrick Kirk (45), James McManus (52), Jordan Flores (68).

St Patrick's Athletic: Daniel Rogers; Jason McClelland (Tom Grivosti 67), Ryan McLaughlin, Joseph Redmond, Luke Turner; Christopher Forrester, Jamie Lennon, Romal Palmer (Kian Leavy 67); Ruairí Keating (Cian Kavanagh 1), Mason Melia (Aaron Bolger 89), Jake Mulraney (Alex Nolan 46).

Subs not used: Marcelo Pitaluga, Alfie Taylor, Arran Pettifer, Brandon Kavanagh.

Booked: Christopher Forrester (45), Luke Turner (45), Ryan McLaughlin (65).

Referee: Robert Harvey.

Attendance: 4,431

extratime.com Player of the Match: James Akintunde ( Bohemians).

MARK COYLE FOR IRELAND

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