- Stuart Connolly
- Fri, Mar 11 2022
Stuart Connolly Reports from Finn Park
St Patrick's Athletic moved joint top of the league after a 2-0 win away at Finn Park.
After a keenly contested first half, goals from Jack Scott and Eoin Doyle after the midway point in the second half put the game in the visitors' control.
Harps remain at the opposite end of the table, still chasing their first win but worryingly have only netted one goal in their first four outings.
The hosts went into this fixture still in search of their first three points while the visitors had won two of their first four outings, losing the other two.
Neither side got off to a flyer in this fixture with Yoyo Mahdy heading over with the only decent chance inside the opening twenty minutes.
The visitors began to settle into things and only a Mark McGinley punched clearance kept Eoin Doyle from opening the scoring.
At the other end, the post kept the score down as David Webster hit a low effort beyond Joseph Anang, the ball was recycled in, but his follow up chance was blasted over.
Beyond the half hour and as the match approached half time, each team had one chance a piece as Filip Mihaljevic headed straight into Anang's hands. Eoin Doyle had the other opportunity but a tackle from Ethan Boyle thwarted his chance at goal.
Darragh Burns fashioned the first chance of the second half less than 60 seconds in but his effort flashed across the face of goal. Mahdy was presented with a good opportunity at the other end but his shot was tame as Anang saved.
Mihaljevic had an effort on the hour, but the onrushing Anang closed down the angle and blocked the shot on goal.
Just five minutes later the visitors broke the deadlock. Ian Bermingham had a close-range strike saved by McGinley who pushed it onto the post and allowed Jack Scott the easiest of finishes.
It could have been a two-goal cushion for Tim Clancy's side just moments later but Chris Forrester placed a shot narrowly wide.
With just over ten minutes to go, the score was 2-0 with Forrester bagging the assist. He whipped in a free kick from the left and Eoin Doyle rose highest in the area to head beyond the grasp of McGinley.
Harps - always keen to fight until the final whistle - still had efforts to reduce the deficit but to no avail as Eric McWoods had the best chance, only to be denied by Anang.
Forrester had a late speculative effort saved as the Saints return to Inchicore with three points.
Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; Jose Carrillo, Ethan Boyle, David Webster; Bastien Hery (Eric McWoods 66), Ryan Connolly, Barry McNamee, Elie N'Zeyi Kibonge (Mark Timlin 73), Ryan Rainey; Yoyo Mahdy (Jesse Devers 82), Filip Mihaljevic.
Subs not used: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen Black, Erol Erdal Alkan, Damien Duffy, Nathan Logue, Luke Rudden.
Booked: Elie N'Zeyi Kibonge (33), Ryan Connolly (80).
St. Patrick's Athletic: Joseph Anang; Tom Grivosti, Anto Breslin, Ian Bermingham (c), Joe Redmond, Jack Scott (James Abankwah 81); Chris Forrester, Darragh Burns (Tunde Owolabi 66), Adam O'Reilly; Mark Doyle (Rónán Coughlan 85), Eoin Doyle (Jason McClelland 85).
Subs not used: Josh Keeley, Sam Curtis, Billy King, Ben McCormack, Adam Murphy.
Booked: Ian Bermingham (90) ..
Referee: Adriano Reale.
extratime.com Player of the Match: Chris Forrester (St Patrick’s Athletic)
