Kavanagh repays Pat’s at double

DARYL KAVANAGH blew Drogheda away with a stunning display as St Patrick’s Athletic finally brought their season to life at Inchicore last night.

The 24-year-old attacker had said during pre-season that but for football he’d be in prison due to his off-field problems with drugs and alcohol. But he proved his life is very much on the mend as he tore Drogheda apart.

The Clonmel man fired Saints ahead on 27 minutes when his shot from the edge of the area squirmed through the arms of Drogheda keeper Stephen Trimble.

The second arrived on 43 minutes when Drogheda were all over the place at the back as Kavanagh regained possession in the box to shoot home from 14 yards.

An earlier miss and a good save deprived him of his hat-trick.

With goals in his previous two games, Danny North has been Saints’ chief attacker in recent games.

And another hard-running display duly saw him add to that to seal the three points on 71 minutes when side-footing home Derek Doyle’s low cross in to the net at the near post.

It should have been more as Drogheda captain Brain Gannon hacked off the line from Trimble while Kavanagh was denied his hat-trick on 75 minutes by Trimble’s left-hand post.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Pender, E. McMillan (Daly, 83) Shortall, Bermingham; Stewart, Crowley (Murphy 75), McFaul (Bradley 22), Doyle; Kavanagh, North.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Trimble; Nolan, McNally (Thompson 46), Ekanem, Hand; Gannon, M O’Brien, Quigley, McEntaggart (McNamara 69); Freeman (Corcoran 61), Hanaphy.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).