- Diarmuid Kearney
- Sat, Jun 24 2017
A fantastic Conan Byrne free kick earned St Patrick's Athletic a 2-2 draw with Limerick at the Markets Field, a result that sees the Saints move off the bottom of the table.
The away side came to Lmerick on the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Bohemians and were rock bottom of the table on 15 points.
The home side sat seventh in the table and looking to keep the possibility of European football next season alive.
The first half began slowly with both sides feeling each other out in the early stages with very little happening throughout the early stages.
Limerick took the lead on the counter-attack after a St Pats corner was cleared and headed down by Chiedozie Ogbene, whose pass found Lee-J Lynch, after 16 minutes.
Lynch ran down the wing and sent a through ball that found Ogbene alone in space, who ran through and hit a low hard shot past Conor O’Malley to make it 1-0.
Pats were holding possession very well but made very little of it in the final third as they failed to test Brendan Clarke with a shot on target.
Limerick were dominant, while Pats looked shaky at the back and almost fell 2-0 down in the 43rd minute as Shane Duggan burst though and hit a low shot that was saved by O’Malley.
Pats did not have a foot in the half and almost conceded again but no one was there to meet the cross of Lynch as the ball went out for a kick out.
As the half-time whistle sounded it 1-0 to Limerick who were looking on top of this one as St Pats could not manage a shot on target all half.
The second half started better for Pats but still they could not make anything happen with the possession in the opening stages.
Limerick were on the back foot in the early stages of the half and almost conceded as Darragh Markey had his cross smothered by Brendan Clarke, preventing the ball reaching Christy Fagan lurking at the edge of the six-yard box.
Darragh Markey had a shot comfortably saved and later Ian Bermingham hit yet another shot wide.
Limerick were second-best but were awarded a penalty as Ogebene was brought down in the area. Up stepped Tosi, who hit the penalty to the keeper's right to double the lead on the hour.
St Pats had looked better in the second half and just 3 minutes later pulled one back as Jonathan Lunney hit a left-wing cross which was headed in by captain Ian Bermingham.
The Saints went in search of a leveller and came close with Lunney heading agonisingly wide but they eventually got the leveller, and what a goal it was.
Byrne stepped up to take a free kick and hit the shot high into the top corner past Brendan Clarke to make the score 2-2 with 11 minutes remaining.
It was all Pats in the closing stages but they could not find a winner as they wasted yet more chances as Limerick saw the game out.
It will be considered a disappointing draw for Limerick.after squandering a 2-0 lead but Liam Buckley will be happy that his side have managed to climb above Galway into 11th in the table.
Limerick: Brendan Clarke; Shaun Kelly, Robbie Williams, David O’Connor, Shane Tracy; Shane Duggan, Paul O'Conor (Bastien Hery 79), Lee J Lynch, Dean Clarke; Rodrigo Tosi, Chiedozie Ogbene.
Subs not used: Freddy Hall (gk), Garbhan Coughlan, Ian Turner, Stephen Kenny, Chris Mulhall.
Booked: Roderigo Tossi(47)
St. Patrick’s Athletic: Conor O’Malley; Graham Kelly, Gavin Peers, Rory Feely, Ian Bermingham; Lee Desmond, Patrick Cregg, Conan Byrne, Darragh Markey (Alex O’Hanlon 69), Jonathan Lunney; Christy Fagan (Josh O’Hanlon 84).
Subs not used: Barry Murphy (gk), Michael Barker, Sam Verdon, Jack Bayly, Billy Dennehy.
Booked: Lee Desmond (22), Gavin Peers (80), Alex O'Hanlon (90).
Referee: James McKell (Tippeary).
Attendance: 1,470 (official).
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Roderigo Tossi (Limerick).
