Melia strikes again as St Pat's ease past Waterford
STRIKES AGAIN: Mason Melia turns 17 on Sunday and is already the Saints No 9, lashing in their second goal to record a first win of the season over Waterford. Picture: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
FAI Cup success last year tricked St Patrick’s Athletic fans into believing a title charge was imminent but instead they’ll remember this season as Mason Melia’s breakthrough year.
The striker turns 17 on Sunday and is already the Saints No 9, lashing in their second goal to record a first win of the season over Waterford.
A yellow card incurred soon after curbed his involvement but he contributed to a victory that doesn’t move them above their current spot of seventh.
Waterford began the day in fourth place but much like those above them inconsistency has been rife.
Holding on for a 2-1 win over basement side Dundalk last week brought them to Inchicore with a bounce yet the man who ravaged the Saints earlier this year, Maleace Asamoah, has since been sold by their mothership Fleetwood Town to Wigan Athletic for £400,000.
Another of their imports from English, Sam Sargeant, returned between the posts after eight weeks sidelined with a fracture and his hands were tested during a first half hour dominated by the Saints.
Brandon Kavanagh, who rescued a point in that 1-1 draw in April, the dying embers of the Jon Daly era that Stephen Kenny has followed, posed danger from the outset.
With his right foot after just minutes, his rising sidefooted shot stuck the crossbar. On 24, it was from his left foot that he fired from distance, forcing Sargeant to claw the ball away for a corner.
Jamie Lennon also drew the goalkeeper into a parried stop from distance but all that promise might have been ruined once the visitors came to life.
All of 30 minutes had elapsed before Joseph Anang was worked, arriving when Barry Baggley shimmied inside from a throw and curled his left foot cross. It was overhit but the custodian felt the need to palm it past his post.
Moments later, there was an anxious silence from the home faithful when Dean McMenamy hit the grass in the box. Referee Neil Doyle waited to whistle, yet opted for a free out rather than a penalty, booking the culprit for his alleged simulation.
Ryan Burke, raiding from left wing back, then tried his luck, blasting a cushioned volley on the run that Anang managed to foil, albeit shovelling the ball up in the air.
It was to prove a momentary swing, for the Saints soon struck twice in the space of five minutes.
They grabbed the crucial breakthrough on the break, Kavanagh spinning his marker just inside his own half line before threading a pass towards Zack Elbouzedi.
Grant Horton's slip smoothed his path to goal and he rifled a lot shot inside the near post of Sergeant.
If that resulted in swift Saints play, Waterford could only blame themselves for contributing to the second.
All seemed under control when Pat’s raided from the right but an interception by Barry Baggley converted to an assist as the ball fell kindly for Melia to smash the loose ball high into the net.
A ripple of life surfaced from the Blues straight after the restart. Padraig Amond, the league’s joint top scorer who tested Anang at 1-0, brushed his header wide before Burke drilled wide with his weaker right foot.
There was scant substance to the revival and it was no surprise when Melia’s replacement, barged through with 13 minutes left to clatter the ball in off the underside of the crossbar.
: J Anang; A Sjoberg, T Grivosti, J Redmond, A Breslin; J Lennon, C Forrester; Z Elbouzedi (L Turner 62), B Kavanagh (J McClelland 84), J Mulraney (K Leavy 62); M Melia (A Keena 76).
: S Sargeant; D Power, G Horton (S Glenfield 80), D Leahy, K Radkowski, R Burke; B Baggley (B McCormack 80), R McDonald; S Bellis (G Arubi 88), D McMenamy (S Flynn 80); P Amond.
: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
: 4,237.
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