St Pat's run out comfortable 4-0 winners over Cork City
ON TARGET: Jake Mulraney of St Patrick's Athletic, right, shoots to score during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Cork City at Richmond Park. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Who'd be a manager? Three weeks ago, it was Tim Clancy feeling the pressure but his drubbing of Cork City switches the spotlight onto Colin Healy’s reign.
From winning once in their opening five, back-to-back victories for St Patrick’s Athletic gave Clancy the right to indulge the acclaim at the final whistle of this whitewash.
City’s winless stretch of four games forced Healy into action with Barry Coffey and Cian Coleman slipping to the bench. In came Kevin Čustović and Albin Winbo, confirming the full complement of the Swedish trio City signed for their return to the Premier Division.
Daniel Krezic, the final part of the trio, might have had the visitors ahead after just 90 seconds but for a brilliant save from Dean Lyness.
Ruairi Keating was the creator in the first attack, sprinting to the right endline before hanging a cross towards the far post. Krezic read the pass perfectly, rising high to nod downwards but the new Saints stopper got down low to foil.
It was the lively start which the Rebels required, only for their threat to fade and Pat’s to assert themselves in the final third.
They first had to withstand a scare when their defender Sam Curtis required five minutes of treatment following a head clash with Aaron Bolger.
Once both casualties were bandaged up, the Saints displayed the sharper cutting edge.
Jamie Lennon signalled their threat by raiding into the box from the right and disturbing the side net with a crisp right-foot drive, moments before the 15th minute breakthrough.
Instigated by Chris Forrester, his delivery from the left was recycled from the opposite side, enabling Eoin Doyle to square for Jake Mulraney to sweep home from six yards.
The attacker was afforded too much space to score for a third successive game but Jay McClelland’s clever dummy during the cross threw City’s defence.
City had recovered from a deficit on their last trip to Dublin – the epic 4-4 draw at Shamrock Rovers – and they diligently set about their comeback.
Keating was just off-balance when he spun and veered his left-footer over on 21 minutes but he was livid to be denied his sixth of the season by the crossbar 15 minutes later.
Youthful Saints defender Jay McGrath was caught out by a delightful long pass on the run from his own half by Darragh Crowley, leaving Keating in a one-on-one with the advancing goalkeeper.
His lob over Lyness was the best option, yet didn’t drop sufficiently soon to avoid it clattering off the woodwork.
Such opportunities are precious at this level and the miss, however unlucky, proved the pivotal moment for the hosts to build on their lead.
Mulraney always posed a threat and was a whisker from connecting with another through ball on the stroke of half-time which Jimmy Corcoran dashed out to suffocate.
Into the second half and a flap by Lyness from a right-wing cross wasn’t punished by Crowley, who was unable to convert the stray ball from the edge of the box.
Twice Aaron Bolger tried his luck too but Lyness was never really troubled, unlike Corcoran at the other end.
He’s probably justified in questioning those in front of him for allowing Jay McClelland unleash a curler from 20 yards on 63 minutes but the goalkeeper still looked all at sea as the ball fizzed past his desperate attempt at saving.
That was that from a City perspective and it was just a case of how many goals the 3,689 in attendance would be treated to.
Mulraney’s class showed for the third with 15 minutes left, haring down the left before spotting Lennon unmarked at the back post. The sting seemed to seep from his effort but it took a decisive deflection off Čustović to wrongfoot the stranded City custodian. Lennon deserves to the credited the goal, for it was first ever one in the league.
There was nothing fortuitous about the final act as substitute Mark Doyle drove through the defence, toyed with the last man before drilling a shot into the bottom corner.
D Lyness; S Curtis, J Redmond, J McGrath, A Breslin; V Kreida; J McClelland (M Doyle 78), J Lennon (C Carty 84), C Forrester (A Murphy 78), J Mulraney (T Timmermans 78); E Doyle (T Lonergan 71).
J Corcoran; J Honohan, J Häkkinen, A Gilchrist, K Čustović; C Bargary (J O’Brien Whitmarsh 76), A Bolger, A Winbo (E Varian 76), D Krezic (C Murphy 57); D Crowley; R Keating.
Rob Hennessy (Clare).
3,689.
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