Flynn strikes late for Pat’s
Former Rovers man Flynn found himself unmarked inside the Hoops penalty area to chest down a cross by Greg Bolger and fire the ball home.
The pressure is again on new Rovers boss Stephen Kenny with his side eight points behind Premier Division leaders Sligo Rovers.
The Hoops had an early chance after a Greg Bolger foul on Stephen Finn with Killian Brennan’s resultant free going just over the top.
At the other end a Jake Kelly free on the right was sliced wide by Anto Flood.
St Pat’s might have taken the lead when clever work between Jake kelly and Dean Kelly set up a chance for Anto Flood but he was denied by a spectacular Oscar Jansson save.
Rovers went close on 29 minutes when a free by Killian Brennan up a chance for Craig Sives but the Scottish defender blazed the ball over the bar.
Two minutes later Sives had an effort well saved by Brendan Clarke after a free by substitute Billy Dennehy on the left. Clarke came to the visitors’ rescue just before the interval when dashing from his goal to block a Dennehy effort after the Rovers man had picked up a loose ball in midfield.
In a rare St Pat’s breakaway, Flood fired just wide from 30 yards after John Russell created the opening.
And it came as no surprise that the Hoops took the lead on 71 minutes when a Dennehy free was headed to the net by Sives. Twigg should have made the points safe on 82 minutes when he raced 30 yards but his effort was saved by the advancing Clarke.
Rovers were to regret that miss with Flynn becoming the hero for Pat’s with that sensational equaliser in the last minute.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Jansson ; Rice, Sives, Oman, Powell; Brennan, Finn Turner 82), McCormack, McCabe (O’Neill 90); Twigg, Greene (Dennehy 22).
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke; Flynn, Kenna, Browne, Carroll; Bolger, Chambers, Russell; J.Kelly (Meenan 63), Flood, D.Kelly (O’Connor 63).
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).
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