Overdue cup glory in sight as Saints march into final

Dundalk 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 3

A goal after 21 minutes by centre-half Kenny Browne and two in the second half, the first from former Dundalk player Greg Bolger after 53 minutes and then a calm finish by Sean O’Connor five minutes from time, set up a November 4 meeting with either Shelbourne or Derry City.

Bolger was denied a second goal by a spectacular goal-line clearance by Derek Foran just before the third goal.

However, it was not all plain sailing for the Richmond Park outfit as they extended their unbeaten run to 14 games in domestic competition. Dundalk belied their terrible league form, which has resulted in defeat in each of their last seven games, and had two great chances to cancel out Browne’s smartly-taken goal.

The goal came after Peter Cherrie pulled off an acrobatic fingertip save from a Sean O’Connor free-kick. From the resulting corner, Chris Forrester cushioned the ball back for Browne to fire home.

Dundalk spurned the first of two glorious chances to equalise five minutes later. Michael Rafter cleverly nutmegged Browne near the right corner flag to open a free path into the box but, with only Barry Murphy to beat, he shot straight at the goalkeeper, admittedly from a difficult angle.

A minute later Barry Conlon broke free at the back post but sent his diving header wide.

Bolger, who was introduced before the break for Chambers, sealed Dundalk’s fate eight minutes into the second-half. Christy Fagan slipped O’Connor free inside the home penalty area to the right of goal and he veered inside before delivering a pinpoint cross that Bolger headed firmly home.

Still Dundalk remained defiant and Rafter and Shanahan both could have scored shortly after. Rafter turned inside the box from a pass by Mountney and shot over from point-blank range.

A fine move then, started by Liam Burs winning the ball in midfield, saw Mountney put Shanahan bearing down on goal inside the box only for the latter’s shot to be blocked.

Pat’s took a firm grip on the game then, and after Bolger was denied by Foran’s goal-line heroics, Sean O’Connor crowned victory when Peter Cherrie rushed to the edge of his box to head away a long ball, only to see it fall to the Pat’s midfield player. He stroked it into the empty net from 35 yards.

DUNDALK (4-4-2): Cherrie, O’Brien, Foran, Burns, Osbourne, Shanahan (McDonnell 78), Shields, Mountney, Walsh (Shannon 75), Rafter (Bob McKenna 85), Conlon.

SAINT PATRICK’S (4-3-3): Murphy O’Brien, Kenna, Brown, Birmingham, Jake Carroll, Chambers (Bolger 41), Forrester (Russell 68), O’Connor, Kelly (Faherty 84), Fagan, O’Connor.

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).