Clarke gifts points to Dundalk
But St. Patrick’s felt they were robbed of the chance of a point by referee Alan Kelly for not giving them a late penalty when Dundalk defender Dane Maffey appeared to deflect Christy Fagan’s 85th minute shot round a post with his arm.
Dundalk, with a good shape about them, looked the more assured side from the start and had the first real chance of the game on 18 minutes. The energetic Keith Ward dispossessed Jake Carroll to run on and rifle in a shot from an angle which stung the hands of Clarke.
Two minutes later the Dundalk defence was caught square from Sean Gannon’s sublime ball over the top as St. Pat’s wasted their only real chance of the half. While Christy Fagan’s first touch was good, he scuffed his shot across goal.
Clarke then prevented the home side from falling behind with a brilliant save from Dillon’s 30-yarder on 33 minutes.
Stephen Kenny’s side then deservedly went in front on 41 minutes. Richie Towell initially put Byrne in on goal to shoot, with Clarke touching the ball onto a post. Ward sprinted onto the loose ball only to be taken down by Ger O’Brien as he was about to shoot. Dillon calmly sent Clarke the wrong way from the resulting penalty.
Saints were then level on the hour. Gannon initially brought a parry save from Cherrie, before crossing the rebound for substitute Conan Byrne to sidefoot home.
But a shocking howler from Clarke gifted the lead back to Dundalk two minutes later. The keeper tried to dribble a back pass from O’Brien past the inrushing Kurtis Byrne, who robbed him of the ball and rolled it to the empty net.
ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke; O’Brien, Kenna, Browne, Bermingham; Gannon (Flood, 77 mins.), Carroll (Brennan, h/t), Bolger; Kelly (Byrne, h/t), Fagan, Forrester.
DUNDALK: Cherrie; Sullivan, Rossiter, Boyle, Massey; Towell; Dillon (Meenan, 78 mins.), Mountney (Shields, 50 mins.); Ward (McDonnell, 67 mins.); Faherty, Byrne.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).
