Leavy goal seals victory of narrow margins for Pats against Sligo
St. Pats’ Kian Leavy celebrates scoring the first goal of the game with his teammates.
In front of their lowest crowd of the season, St Pat’s teed up their largest on Friday as Kian Leavy’s first goal of the season turned the visit of Shamrock Rovers into a blockbuster.
Jon Daly’s side can go level with the four-in-a-row chasing Hoops in the televised encounter, albeit the champions have three games, rather than their two, left.
Cork City also had skin in the game, with Sligo’s failure to record victory presenting the slightest of hopes it is they, rather than the Rebel Army, who must navigate a playoff to avoid relegation.
Neither scenario is likely but at least maintains jeopardy in the final lap. Stephen Bradley was at Inchicore to see what confronts them on Friday. Win and another crown is theirs - the first team to claim four on the trot since their 1980s version.
This is the stage of the season when the tight 10-team format delivers benefits.
Both teams had something to play for; St Pat’s retention of European football and the slightest of squeaks at deposing the champions whereas it was the opposite fate facing the visitors.
Only for back-to-back wins for Sligo six days apart last month against UCD and Derry City, John Russell’s side would be fighting for their lives heading into the final stretch.
They came after four straight defeats and before another three reverses.
They couldn’t crib about this latest loss, for their shaky defence was always liable to be punished by a Saints attack adept at exploiting gaps.
A team of Sligo’s talent should be nowhere near the pickle they find themselves in.
Handing former player Russell the reins last year was designed to ease the stagnation that had set in but if anything they’ve regressed since he succeeded Liam Buckley. An initial burst of summer sprouts from a couple of European results has been followed by 15 months of toil.
Keeping Greg Bolger on the pitch has been another hazard in Sligo’s slump. Rather than being out on the pitch frustrating the team he won a league and FAI Cup medals with, he was perched in the directors’ box serving a ban and taking on the coaching role he added at the start of this term.
The combo operating without him, David Cawley and Niall Morahan, were bossed on the slick surface by Jamie Lennon and Chris Forrester. Nifty interplay in the centre laid the groundwork for the front three to penetrate, with Carty the first to profit by skipping inside after only seven minutes to shoot but blazing over. He would have better joy later.
Then followed Sligo’s faint purple patch. Fabrice Hartmann arrived in Sligo from RB Leipzig highly recommended and showed a dash of brilliance by twisting his marker inside out before being denied by the legs of Dean Lyness.
Jon Daly can be thankful to the journeyman goalkeeper for playing his part in their strides. Initially recruited when he was assistant to Tim Clancy in March on an emergency loan, he has since kept the returning Danny Rogers on the bench.
This was his fourth clean sheet on the spin and despite Saints dominating in spells he had to be alert when it mattered.
Immediately after thwarting Hartmann, he was again called into action to tip over a Kailin Barlow header that looked to be dipping late under his crossbar.
From the corner, Garry Buckley rose to apply a clean connection but his header was unwittingly blocked by his teammate Cawley a yard from goal.
Lyness’s counterpart at the other end, Richard Brush, was the busier for the remainder of the half, twice holding firm in one-on-one situations to foil the hosts.
On 25 minutes, Carty availed of a lapse by John Mahon and slip from Buckley to sprint clear, only to fire straight at Brush.
The veteran goalkeeper was forced to advance from his line when Carty hared in on goal but stood tall to block the effort with his feet.
Only once in the second half was Lyness called into action; recovering from his weak punch with 10 minutes left to stoop low and prevent Barlow beating him at his near post.
Three points sealed Europe for St Pat’s. Another on Friday would make them dare to dream and that’s before their FAI Cup final against Bohemians on November 12.
D Lyness; S Curtis, J Redmond, D Norman, A Breslin; C Forrester, J Lennon; J McClelland (A Nolan 79), K Leavy (A Murphy 72), M Doyle; C Carty (T Lonergan 72).
R Brush; J Brannefalk, G Buckley, J Mahon, N Pijnaker, W Fitzgerald (P Martello 69); D Cawley (F Liivak 69), N Morahan, K O’Sullivan, K Barlow; F Hartmann (S Radosavljevic 73).
3,117.
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