Kavanagh haunts his old team as Candystripes' title dreams turn sour

Stephen Kenny's Saints won their eight game on the spin but in the process turned the title fight into a two-horse race 

BITTER TASTE: Danny Mullen of Derry City reacts after his side's defeat in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between St Patrick's Athletic and Derry City at Richmond Park in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC 1 DERRY CITY 0 

And then there were two. An eighth-straight victory for St Patrick’s Athletic couldn’t sustain their title charge but also ended Derry City’s.

Ironically, it was Brandon Kavanagh who finished off his former club’s hopes of a first title since 1997 when he found the bottom corner at the second attempt two minutes before the break. Shelbourne’s victory over Drogheda across Dublin eliminated both of these two teams from the title equation.

It means Damien Duff’s Reds can only be caught by Shamrock Rovers, starting with the Hoops needing victory in Dundalk on Sunday. Otherwise, Derry will be providing a guard of honour to champions Shelbourne in next Friday’s final game, one that had long been billed as the decider.

Derry were eager to win but were fortunate to keep 11 players on the pitch by the break. Within two minutes of incurring a booking for halting Kian Leavy’s dribble, Ronan Boyce’s studs connected with the same player. Arguably, the second offence was the one worthy of a yellow.

Zack Elbouzedi proved his fitness to start for Saints in tandem with Leavy supporting Keena but fellow winger Jake Mulraney wasn’t deemed recovered to join him.

Likewise for Derry, their injury woes only permitted Pat McEleney and top scorer Pat Hoban to be named among their substitutes at a time they required their full arsenal of experience. McEleney got on the pitch but Hoban’s being kept in reserve amid hamstring trouble suggested the FAI Cup final on November 10 is now be the priority.

This was a night for hardy souls where jeopardy ruled in the penultimate series of fixtures. Derry’s manager recently lamented his team’s lack of grit after losing a physical battle against Drogheda United and there was no room for shirkers in this cauldron. Two people short of 5,000 registered the largest crowd at Richmond Park for a decade.

Duffy was back in his box to clear a wicked free-kick and at the other end, the Derry dangerman delivered a 13th-minute corner cleared only to the edge of the area. Paul McMullan didn’t catch his volley on the money, miscuing it over the crossbar.

Former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom was inches from Idehen’s cushioned header across the six-yard box from another set-piece but the Saints also offered a threat from dead balls.

Kavanagh couldn’t dip his free-kick under the crossbar midway through the half but would eventually find his range as the interval approached.

When Anto Breslin freed him into the box, all he had to do was beat Brian Maher but despite the goalkeeper denying him from close range, Shane McEleney gifted the recycled cross into his path. Kavanagh wasn’t passing up the second opening, drilling his low shot inside Maher’s near post.

That goal erupted the rickety venue into raptures but this was a meeting between the two highest scorers in the division. Chasing the deficit, Derry brought Colm Whelan on at the break and he was straight into the action as the centrepiece of their attack.

After McMullan struck a low half-volley into the keeper's arms, Whelan went close twice. His second effort 10 minutes after the restart was the more venomous, clattering his 20-yarder off the crossbar.

Joseph Anang was beaten by that attempt but produced a wonder-save on 65 minutes to preserve the lead. Danny Mullen’s right-wing cross caused panic between the goalkeeper and Joe Redmond but Anang got himself up off the ground to thwart Duffy’s rising shot from eight yards.

A couple of free-kicks on the edge of the box were wasted too. Duffy applied power rather than accuracy, seeing his shot deflected out for corner, before Mullen blazed his over.

Saints were content to operate on the counter, particularly with Leavy so effortless with his dribbling. Maher, on two occasions, denied him a second for the hosts. In the end they didn’t need it.

ST PATRICK’S ATH: J Anang; R McLaughlin, T Grivosti (L Turner 88), J Redmond, A Breslin; J Lennon, C Forrester; Z Elbouzedi (R Palmer 63), B Kavanagh (AA Kazeem 74), K Leavy; A Keena 

DERRY CITY: B Maher; R Boyce (C Whelan 46), S McEleney, D Idehen, A Wisdom (J Davenport 85); S Diallo (P McEleney 60), A O’Reilly; P McMullan, W Patching (S Robertson 72), M Duffy; D Mullen.

Referee: Rob Hennessey (Clare) 

Attendance: 4998.