Grehan hits 97th minute winner as Bohs come from behind to beat Pat's

Rob Cornwall cancelled out Chris Forrester's first half goal before Sean Grehan's dramatic victory-clinching goal.

Fri, 25 Apr, 2025 - 22:42

Paul Buttner, Dalymount Park

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Bohemians 2 St Patrick’s Athletic 1

Sean Grehan conceded a penalty before scoring a thrilling 97th minute winner as Bohemians snatched another big derby win from the jaws of defeat.

With St Pat’s ahead from Chris Forrester’s first half penalty, all the drama came late on at Dalymount Park as Bohemians made it three wins on the spin for the first time in a year.

First Rob Cornwall, on as an early substitute for Liam Kavanagh, headed Bohemians level in the 89th minute when meeting an Archie Meekison cross after St Pat’s had failed to fully clear a corner.

A minute later Saints saw left-back Anto Breslin sent off when receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Ross Tierney having shipped a booking for time-wasting in the first half.

Then came the real excitement for the home faithful in the seventh of six added minutes.

Dayle Rooney’s free kick from the right caused pandemonium in the St Pat’s area with centre-back Grehan arriving to blast home from close range to cue delirium from the Gypsies fans.

In ending now third-placed St Pat's' six-match unbeaten run, Bohemians edge up to sixth, just two points off leaders Drogheda United having won more games, six, than any side this season to date.

In an expectedly frenetic opening it was St Pat’s who settled the better to take a deserved, if controversial, lead on 22 minutes.

Axel Sjoberg raided from right-back with Grehan adjudged to have touched his attempted cross with his left hand.

Despite little appeal for a penalty, referee Damien MacGraith didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot from where Forrester sent Kacper Chorazka the wrong way for his fourth goal of the season.

St Pat’s continued to dominate with Mason Melia having a goal disallowed for offside before Bohemians finally came alive to carve their first real chance on 29 minutes.

James McManus, Tierney, Jordan Flores and Collie Whelan were involved to set up Niall Morahan whose drive brought a fine save from Joseph Anang diving low to his left.

Grehan then had a shot blocked by Redmond as the home side probed to get back into the game.

But it was some frantic defending at the other end that prevented St Pat's from extending their lead in first half stoppage time.

Fancy footwork inside the area from Melia made room for the shot which Cornwall did well to block.

St Pat’s lost Forrester at the break as Bohs, with James Clarke added to their attack, injected much needed urgency to their game from the resumption with Tierney working Anang following some patient build up.

Anang was there again to frustrate the home side with another good stop from a Whelan free-kick on 65 as Bohs’ pressure mounted ahead of an absolutely thrilling late, late show finish.

Bohemians: Chorazka; Mountney (Clarke, h-t), Kavanagh (Cornwall, 18), Grehan, Flores; Morahan, McManus (Meekison, 76); Rooney, Tierney, Brennan (Buckley, 57); Whelan.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Hoare, Breslin; Lennon, Forrester (Baggley, h-t); Elbouzedi (Kavanagh, 82), Leavy (Mulraney, 82), McClelland (Turner, 60); Melia (Carty, 76).

Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).