O’Connor on song as Pats sink Bohs

Bohemians 2 St Patrick’s Athletic 3

Having provided assists for St Pat’s first two goals, winger O’Connor won it on 70 minutes with a brilliant volley off his weaker right foot from 25 yards that went in off a post.

Bohemians started much the better, deservedly taking the lead on 25 minutes.

Some brilliant footwork by McMillan inside his own half saw him beat three St Patrick’s players before finding Michael Barker. He in turn fed the ball wide right to Kevin Devaney whose low cross was swept home by McMillan who’d raced forward into the area to score against his former club.

It came within inches of being 2-0 just a minute later. Barker put Devaney in behind down the inside left channel and he rounded keeper Barry Murphy only to see his chip come back off the far post.

With topscorer Christy Fagan dropped to the bench, St Patrick’s were a pale shadow of the side that beat Derry City 3-0 on Monday, but they should have been level on 35 minutes.

Vinny Faherty set up substitute Greg Bolger who somehow contrived to slice wide with the goal at his mercy.

Against the run of play, however, James Chambers made no such mistake with a tougher chance to equalise three minutes later. The midfielder peeled off at the back post to meet O’Connor’s deep free kick and he volleyed home from a narrow angle.

St. Patrick’s then caught Bohemians cold to steal the lead three minutes into the second-half. The defending was poor as Chris Forrester got on the end of O’Connor’s cross from the left to toe-poke to the corner of the net.

In a cracking rollercoaster of a game, Bohemians responded well to level within a further three minutes. Central defender Kevin Feely met Danny Joyce’s corner to power a header to the net.

BOHEMIANS: Murray; Mulcahy, Feely, Lopes; Barker, Pender (Carr, 84 mins.), Buckley, Joyce (Wilson, 58 mins.), Byrne (Ward, 80 mins.); Devaney, McMillan.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Murphy; O’Brien, Kenna, Browne, Bermingham (Bolger, 24 mins.); Forrester, Chambers, Carroll; J. Kelly (Hernany, 68 mins.), Flaherty (Fagan, 66 mins.), O’Connor.

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).