St Pat's end Waterford's five-game winning run to go level with Shamrock Rovers
St Pat's Nahum Melvin-Lambert scores his side's second goal. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson
St Patrick’s Athletic moved level with Shamrock Rovers at the summit by ending Waterford’s five-match winning run but the game was marred by a distressing head injury to Lee Desmond in stoppage time.
As Waterford piled forward seeking an equaliser from substitute Greg Halford’s throw-in, the defender collided with his goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros.
Medical attention lasted for several minutes before, thankfully, the centre-back lay upright on the stretcher carrying him into the awaiting ambulance.
The Hoops were convincing 3-1 winners when the sides met at Tallaght a fortnight ago but titles are won through various methods.
That the Saints have eradicated the mistakes that cost them points against lower teams last season sustains their quest but they will require precious slips in the final 12 games for them to last the distance.
The two games that Rovers have in hand will expand to three next week as their European commitments have forced the postponement of the Dublin derby against Bohemians.
They will need the experience of title-winner Robbie Benson back from injury to maintain their push, though the midfielder’s former Dundalk teammate John Mountney is likely to miss the run-in. He suffered a serious knee injury during the 4-1 win over his former club last week.
That victory marked a serious statement of intent by O’Donnell’s crew and Smith added to his two goals with the opener in a scrappy opening half.
Right-winger Billy King was the hosts’ livewire in the opening exchanges, getting the better of Jack Stafford on a few occasions and it was no surprise that one of his forays destabilised a Waterford defence that gave little away in last week’s win over Bohemians.
When Paddy Barrett fed King 25 yards out, his surge to the edge of the area caused panic, leading to an overstretched Niall O’Keefe invertedly poking the ball into the path of Matty Smith, who swept his first-time shot past Brian Murphy.
O’Keefe, still only 21, has been a revelation for the Blues this season, yet he should have allowed his covering full-back Darragh Power to clear rather than commit himself off-balance.
There was little of Waterford’s prowess so synonymous with their hot streak in the first half, their opportunities restricted to 20-yard free-kicks from Shane Griffin and Junior Quitirna that went wide and were blocked by the wall respectively.
Much of their frustration stemmed from the endeavours of Alfie Lewis sitting in midfield.
O’Donnell would have gleaned from his trip to the south-east for the Bohs game last week the damage Phoenix Patterson and Quitirna can inflict when presented with space.
Whenever either turned towards goal, there to break up the play was Lewis, prompting the withdrawal of former Tottenham apprentice Patterson at the break.
Marc Bircham instead unleashed former Saints academy product Cian Kavanagh for the second half, the teen’s height supplying a different type of threat in the air.
However, it was a cross into the air at the other end that led to the next goal, as Ian Bermingham’s delivery from the end-line sat up perfectly for Nahum Melvin-Lambert to nod in from close range.
That second came moments after Quitirna blazed wide after robbing Paddy Barrett to hare clear on goal.
The former Charlton Athletic attacker had more joy on 63 minutes by coaxing Desmond into a foul inside the area, earning a penalty he tucked beyond Jaros.
Darragh Power denied Jay McClelland a third with a last-ditch tackle but it was the last-gasp siege at the other end which delayed the final whistle by John McLoughlin.
V Jaros; S Bone, L Desmond, P Barrett, I Bermingham; A Lewis (J Lennon 60); B King, B McCormack (R Coughlan 67), C Forrester, M Smith (D Burns 26); N Melvin-Lambert (J McClelland 67).
B Murphy; D Power, C Evans (K Ferguson 67), E Nolan, J Stafford; N O’Keefe (G Halford 66), S Griffin, J Martin, J Quitirna, P Patterson (C Kavanagh 46); P Mutswunguma (I Tshipamba 66).
John McLoughlin (Westmeath).
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