St. Patrick’s Athletic 4-2 Galway United

• Philip O'Rourke
• Fri, Jul 02 2010


St Patricks Athletic stayed top of the Airtricity Premier Division table with a 4-2 win over Galway United at Richmond Park on Friday night.

The game was only two minutes old when the first goal was scored and it was St. Pat’s who got it. Vinny Faherty found room down the right hand side and switched the ball to Derek Doyle who composed himself and slotted it by Barry Ryan in the Galway United goal.

Four minutes later Galway United had a chance to equalise from a free-kick from the edge of the box but blazed the shot over the bar. Galway did start to pass the ball around well but failed to bring the two front men, Karl Sheppard and Anto Flood, into the game.

The home side should have increased their lead in the 30th minute but Ryan denied Paul Byrne from point blank range when Byrne found space but his header was somehow kept out by the Galway keeper.

St Pats were made to pay for that missed chance as Galway went up the other end eight minutes later and equalised. For the first time in the game Sheppard and Flood linked up with Sheppard playing a brilliant pass to Flood who put it away with great finish past Gary Rogers.

Galway started to press before half-time and they got their reward after a mistake from St. Pat’s defender Noel Haverty. The Saints defender made a mess of the clearance while his keeper was also rushing out to clear his lines. The ball fell to Galway’s Paul Curran about 30 yards from goal and he chipped the ball over Rogers who was scrambling back to his goal line.

St Pats came out at half-time and started to press the visitors straight from the off but it was Galway who came closest. Flood became provider for Sheppard but his shot just curled wide of the post. The game became scrappy but St. Pat’s finally found an equaliser. A free-kick from Conor Kenna in his own half was flicked on by Paul Byrne and Faherty volleyed the ball over the head of Barry Ryan.

St Pats took the lead in the 72nd minute when Derek Pender switched the ball over to Derek Doyle who put the ball past Ryan with a first time shot.

The game was finally put to bed when Saints substitute Brian Cash was brought down in the box by Ryhs Meynell. Derek Doyle stepped up to score his hat-trick and secured all three points for St Pats which ensured they would stay top of the table.

St. Patrick’s Athletic: Gary Rogers, Derek Pender, Ian Bermingham, Conor Kenna, Noel Haverty (David McAllister 45), Ryan Guy( Brian Cash 76) Stuart Byrne, David Mulcahy, Vinny Faherty(Daniel North 79), Paul Byrne, Derek Doyle.
Substitutes not used: Conor Sinnott, Paul Hunt.

Galway United: Barry Ryan, Bobby Ryan, Seamus Conneely, Ryhs Meynell, James Creaney,(Paul Sinnot 65) Jamie McKenzie, Karl Sheppard, Ciaran Foley (Derek O’ Brien 70), Anto Flood, Stephen O’ Donnell, Gary Curran.
Substitutes not used: Thomas Heary, Tom King, Stephen Walsh