Late Pats goals break Cork City hearts

Cork had taken a 2-1 lead in the 78th minute through Seani Maguire penalty.

Fri, 16 May, 2025 - 22:12

Darryl Geraghty, Richmond Park

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: St. Patrick’s Athletic: 3 Cork City: 2

In the season of late goals, St. Patrick’s Athletic left it late to earn a big win in the most dramatic of circumstances.

An early Mason Melia header set the Saints on their way before Cork City flipped the game on its head and looked to earn a big win. But a 90th minute equaliser from Zack Elbouzedi and a 96th minute winner from Jamie Lennon earned a big comeback win for Stephen Kenny’s charges.

Following a tumultuous week off the pitch, with Tim Clancy departing his post after last week’s defeat to Derry City and the former Aston Villa and Ipswich coach being announced the day before kick-off, it was Liam Kearney - along with Greg Yelverton and a vocal player coach Greg Bolger - who oversaw City’s narrow defeat, in a game that took a while to spring into action.

With little between the sides, it took until just before a quarter of an hour played for the first chance on target. Tottenham Hotspur bound Mason Melia got up early over opposing striker Djenairo Daniels to power home a header from Barry Baggley’s outswinging corner to get his side in front.

The new Rebels boss, Nash, had just arrived in Dublin from Sweden on the day of the game and watched on from the stands and would have been concerned as his side looked vulnerable from set-pieces. Minutes later Saints skipper Joe Redmond's downward header from the opposite side was almost bundled over the line.

The visitors tried desperately to get back level and at the half hour mark another teen sensation, Cathal O’Sullivan, blazed over. But again it was the home side who looked more dangerous and moments later should have doubled their lead.

Kian Leavy, turned sharply in the middle of the park and released Jake Mulraney in behind the City defence. The pacey winger opted for power as he raced into the area and was bravely denied by Tein Troost who stood big.

Aidan Keena, who had been quiet by his standards, went agonisingly close to doubling his side's lead, fashioning some space by beating a couple of challenges and from just outside the area blasted just wide of the upright.

Just before the break O’Sullivan was back in the thick of things making a clever run from the right wing inside behind the Saints defence. Daniels played a perfectly weighted pass to find the 18-year-old but was eventually smothered by the recovering Pat’s backline.

Just five minutes after the interval Melia played a tidy slide rule ball for Keena who narrowly missed the far post as the home side pushed for another.

But if you don't take your chances at this level you get punished and just before the hour mark, skipper Charlie Lyons punished the home side. Following an Evan McLaughlin corner the Captain levelled with a header of his own, looping the ball high to the back post.

And with less than a quarter of an hour remaining the turnaround looked to have been completed when Al-Amiin Kazeem was adjudged to have handled substitute Milan Mbeng's clever cut back as he shaped to cross.

Fellow substitute Seani Maguire showed all his experience calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

In a season of late goals, it was the home side who found not one but two as firstly, Zack Elbouzedi was on hand to tap home from Simon Power’s brilliant low cross.

Elbouzedi turned provider, turning the ball inside to Jamie Lennon who broke City hearts, smashing home to spark a wild pitch invasion and chaotic scenes to ensure all three points stayed in Dublin on this occasion.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond (Grivosti, 71’), Hoare, Kazeem; Leavy (Kavanagh, 36’), Lennon, Baggley (McClelland, 77’), Mulraney (Power, 77’); Keena (Elbouzedi, 71’), Melia

CORK CITY: Troost; Nevin (Mbeng, 70’), Anderson, Lyons, Kiernan; Fitzpatrick (Bolger, 57’), Murray, McLoughlin (Maguire, 70’); O’Sullivan, Nelson, Daniels

Referee: Paul Norton