Pat’s hit five to go five points clear

St Patrick’s Athletic 5 UCD 0

Goals from Killian Brennan, Conan Byrne, Chris Forrester and a brace from Jake Kelly blew UCD away in the second half at Richmond Park as Liam Buckley’s side capitalised fully on champions Sligo Rovers losing at home to Dundalk.

Away to the league leaders they may have been, but Martin Russell’s UCD weren’t lacking in confidence in coming to Inchicore on the back of an unbeaten four-match run and they carved out the first opening that should have brought them the lead on 10 minutes.

Gary Burke and David McMillan combined to thread Robbie Benson in on goal, but the striker’s curling shot shaved the bar.

But that was to be just about it for UCD as St Patrick’s responded to dominate, though they somehow contrived to go off the interval without having converted one of a host of chances.

John Russell planted a downward header just wide from their first chance a minute after UCD’s miss before Forrester flummoxed the visitors’ rearguard with a one-two with Christy Fagan only to shoot tamely at Conor O’Donnell.

The chances kept coming. A foul by Burke on the influential Russell on 40 minutes saw Brennan blast a free-kick off the edge of the College crossbar.

Having huffed and puffed in front of goal in the first half, it took St Pat’s just a minute of the second to finally get their noses in front.

Kenny Browne’s header from Byrne’s corner was pushed out by O’Donnell and Brennan reacted well to rifle to the net off his left foot.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Eagle-eyed Russell slipped Byrne through on goal and the former Student drilled a left-foot shot past O’Donnell.

A defensive slip then gifted Forrester a clean run on goal and he raced in to dink the ball cleverly over O’Donnell for the third on 71 minutes to end the game as any kind of contest.

Substitute Kelly added the fourth on 83 minutes, a solo run putting him on goal to drill a low shot past O’Donnell

Kelly added his second four minutes later, confidently finishing off a move involving Sean Gannon and Forrester.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke; O’Brien, Kenna, Browne, Bermingham; Russell (Gannon, 77), Bolger, Brennan; Byrne (Kelly, 72), Fagan (Flood, 68), Forrester.

UCD: O’Donnell; Matthews, Kavanagh, O’Connor, Langtry (McNelis, 74); Clarke, Walsh (Bolyle, 59), McCabe, Burke; Benson; McMillan (Corcoran, 65).

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).