League Report: Bohemians 1 - 3 St. Patrick’s Athletic

Saints celebrations after goal in Dalymount Park

Saints celebrations after goal in Dalymount Park Credit: Matthew Lysaght (ETPhotos)

Patrick O’ Connor reports from Dalymount Park

Bohemians blew an opportunity to ease their relegation worries at home to St. Patrick’s Athletic on Monday night when a missed penalty and a red card handed the initiative to the visitors who went on to record a comfortable 3-1 win.

The Gypsies had a great chance to widen the gap between themselves and ninth placed Drogheda United but their inability to do so means that the four-point difference still exists and their anxiety around avoiding the promotion/relegation play off will remain at least until next weekend’s set of fixtures.

The Saints on the other hand can do no wrong in the last few months, and this result means they lost only twice in the last 16 games in all competitions, won their last six league games and hit the net 18 times while only conceding five goals.

This was the second last home game of the season at Dalymount Park and the home side certainly got off to a very positive start against a somewhat sluggish Pats side.

Ross Tierney, Dayle Rooney and James Clarke were all very prominent in the opening 45 minutes and they really should have been ahead at the break given the amount of possession they had.

Tierney almost opened their account in the sixth minute when his downward header was heading across the line only for Tom Grivosti to hack it away for a corner.

The golden opportunity for Bohs arrived in the 17th minute when James Clarke was hauled down as he strode into the box, referee Rob Hennessy immediately pointing to the penalty spot.

Dawson Devoy took the responsibility of the kick, and while his effort was low and hard to his left, Pats keeper Joseph Anang got down well to his right and smothered the ball.

It remained scoreless at the half time break but the second key moment of the game came shortly after the restart. In the 50th minute, Tierney picked up his second yellow card followed by a red card and suddenly Bohs were down to ten men and on the back foot.



Pats took full advantage of the numerical advantage and within nine minutes of the red card they took the lead. The influential Chris Forrester took a shot from outside the box and while it lacked any great power it took a wicked deflection off a Bohs defender and flew past the stranded Kacper Chorazka in the goal.

The Saints effectively sealed the outcome in the 76th minute when Jake Mulraney picked up a loose ball in the box and blasted a shot past Chorazka for 2-0.

They completed the rout in the 81st minute when Joe Redmond headed a Zack Elbouzedi free kick to the net and that put the final nail in the Bohs coffin and enabled Pats to secure all three points.

Devoy did get a consolation goal for Bohs a minute from time but were unable to add to that in the six minutes of added time and they now need to go again in search of points when they travel to Sligo Rovers on Saturday night.

Pats meanwhile are locked together with Galway United on 50 points (Pats have a better goal difference) and these two sides meet next Friday night with a top four place, if not indeed a late shot at the league title itself, at stake in Richmond Park.

Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Cian Byrne, Jake Carroll, Jordan Flores, Patrick Kirk; Dawson Devoy, Adam McDonnell (Filip Piszczek 77), Archie Meekison (Alexander Greive 65), Ross Tierney; James Clarke, Dayle Rooney (Brian McManus 85).
Subs not used: James Talbot, Jevon Mills, Declan Osagie, Sean Moore, Declan McDaid, Daniel Grant.
Booked: James Clarke (13), Ross Tierney (44), Ross Tierney (50), Filip Piszczek (90).
Sent off: Ross Tierney (50).

St. Patrick's Athletic: Joseph Tetteh Anang; Anthony Breslin (Al Amin Kazeem 80), Tom Grivosti, Joseph Redmond, Carl Sjöberg (Ryan McLaughlin 46); Aaron Bolger (Kian Leavy 71), Christopher Forrester, Brandon Kavanagh (Romal Palmer 80); Zack Elbouzedi, Aidan Keena (Michael Noonan 89), Jake Mulraney.
Subs not used: Daniel Rogers, Luke Turner, Jason McClelland, Cian Kavanagh.
Booked: Tom Grivosti (31).
Sent off: None.

Referee:  Rob Hennessy 
Attendance: 3,761
extratime.com Player of the Match: Aaron Bolger (St Patricks Athletic)



About Patrick O'Connor

View Full Profile