- Alex Dunne
- Fri, Apr 27 2018
St Patrick's Athletic missed out on a chance to close the gap to the European spots as Kevin Devaney's injury-time equaliser snatched a 2-2 draw for Bohemians at Richmond Park.
With all the typical intense flavour of a Dublin Derby, Jake Keegan scored inside the opening three minutes of each half to give the Saints a commanding 2-0 lead.
But Dinny Corcoran nicked one back with 72 minutes gone after Ryan Brennan's sending-off, before Devaney ghosted in to hand the Northsiders a point.
Pats began with what's evolved into their customary eleven this season, with no place for Christy Fagan or Owen Garvan in the squad.
Bohs made two changes from their 2-0 defeat to Cork City as Dinny Corcoran and Paddy Kavanagh were introduced.
Corcoran, brought in as a strong focal point for the Gypsies' attack, set the tone as he got after the two Pats centre-backs during a spirited opening sequence that saw Keegan get in behind the Bohs defence early.
Bohs pushed high, trying to stop Pats playing out, but when the ball was won in the midfield by the home side they became horribly exposed, and so it proved that an interception led to an inswinging cross from the left from Dean Clarke that Keegan poked home.
The Bohs rearguard were nowhere to be found, and manager Keith Long responded immediately by switching Dan Byrne up front to play with Corcoran. With Ian Morris going into the defence, Bohs set the tone for their long-ball game.
The pace of the Saints front three came to the fore as Conan Byrne and Keegan broke past the Bohs line and combined well down the right to send in a cross for the arriving Clarke – he headed directly to Shane Supple.
Bohs threatened briefly in the tenth minute as Keith Ward flashed a shot across goal, but their pressure was unlikely to pay off without a little more invention.
That was, of course, provided the Saints didn't bring it on themselves, and Barry Murphy contributed to a couple of hairy moments early on before settling into the game with an uncharacteristically powerful claim from a Ward corner.
A golden chance fell the way of the Inchicore club after 20 minnutes when Keegan was slid through but a poor first touch bounced the ball harmlessly to Supple.
Bohs were able to exert some pressure after as Pats fell further and further back. Lee Desmond needed to get a hook around to clear a Dylan Watts effort after it gwent under Murphy.
Bohs won a free in the midfield and the long ball resulted in a Corcoran header that went just wide. Ward got in another effort after 37 minutes but it was flashed across goal without troubling Murphy.
Pats struck early once more in the second half as Keegan notched his second after just three minutes again – not that he knew much about it as Toner's big header from Byrne's corner cannoned in off him.
But the game was turned four minutes later with Ryan Brennan's second yellow and dismissal for diving, looking for a penalty with several Bohemians players around him.
A breathless second half continued with substitute Eoghan Stokes and Byrne both flashing in efforts at Murphy as the extra man began to tell.
With 20 minutes to go, there were big handball shouts from the Bohs fans after a drilled cross hit Desmond. Pats broke but Keegan was pulled back for a questionable offside as it got very heated in the stands.
That man advantage would tell for Bohs as they got a goal back, though most of the attribution can go to Murphy for allowing a decent cross from Byrne to squirm out of his grasp, with Corcoran the lucky recipient of a gift on his return to the starting line-up.
All the late pressure came from the away side, though Jamie Lennon did go close with a long-range shot after Clarke almost snuck in an effort from an impossibly acute angle on the left touchline.
Kevin Devaney unleashed an inventive rocket of a shot with the outside of his boot that went just over, and Bohs continued to lump towards the Pats goal.
A break led to a bit of gamesmanship in the right corner, and a late free kick for the Saints saw a half chance for Clarke ruined by a poor touch, though Thomas Byrne – lively after his introduction – did flash a shot over.
A great chance for Bohs fell as the fourth official declared four minutes added on, but Devaney and Stokes both failed to make being unmarked at the back post count.
The win would have put significant daylight between the sides – eight points separating them as Bohs look increasingly left behind in the bottom four – but Devaney snatched a late, late equaliser at the back post off Darragh Leahy's low cross that an outstretched Toner just couldn't hook away.
St Patrick's Athletic: Barry Murphy; Simon Madden, Kevin Toner, Lee Desmond, Ian Bermingham; Darragh Markey, Jamie Lennon, Ryan Brennan; Conan Byrne, Jake Keegan (Thomas Byrne 78), Dean Clarke.
Subs not used: Brian Maher, Michael Barker, Michael Leahy, Killian Brennan, Graham Kelly, James Doona.
Booked: Ryan Brennan (48 & 52), Thomas Byrne (83).
Sent off: Ryan Brennan (52).
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Keith Buckley, Rob Cornwall, Dan Byrne (Oscar Brennan 77), Darragh Leahy; JJ Lunney (Eoghan Stokes ht), Ian Morris, Keith Ward, Dylan Watts, Paddy Kavanagh (Kevin Devaney 70); Dinny Corcoran.
Subs not used: Sean Bohan, Dan Casey, Paddy Kirk, Philip Gannon.
Booked: Keith Buckley (35), Dan Byrne (39), Eoghan Stokes (61).
Referee: Tomás Connolly.
Attendance: TBC.
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Jake Keegan (St Patrick's Athletic).
