Shelbourne settle for third after scoreless draw against St Pat's
St Patrick's Athletic manager Stephen Kenny after the final whistle. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Shelbourne hit the woodwork twice while St Patrick’s Athletic goalkeeper Joseph Anang made two brilliant saves as the deposed champions had to settle for a third place.
It was a scoreless, though thoroughly entertaining, draw bringing the curtain down on the sides’ domestic season.
Second-placed Derry City winning at relegated Cork City meant a Shelbourne win at a raucous Tolka Park wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
As for St Patrick’s, they can have few complaints. With Bohemians winning well in Drogheda, Stephen Kenny's side simply didn’t do enough to get the victory they needed to hold fourth place as their campaign came to an underwhelming conclusion.
It means the Inchicore side will miss out on the chance of Europe for the first time in five years as Bohemians now hope their arch-rivals Shamrock Rovers can complete the double in the FAI Cup final to give them their continental ticket.
In a feisty start with the tackles flying in, Shels were first to seriously threaten. Saints’ anchor midfielder Jamie Lennon did his job, getting across to block Evan Caffrey’s drive on the edge of the area.
St Pat’s first attack of promise wasn’t long in arriving, Kian Leavy left bemused at not getting a corner after he’d cut inside to shoot, the ball clearly having deflected out off the head of Kameron Ledwidge.
Back at the other end, Anang had to rescue Saints with a sublime one-handed save to thwart the lively Caffrey and force the first corner of the game.
In end-to-end action, Simon Power then skipped in behind the Shels’ rearguard onto Barry Baggley’s pass with a combination of Milan Mbeng and goalkeeper Wessel Speel snuffing out the danger leaving the St Pat’s winger needing treatment for an injury before being substituted.
Speel made his first telling save of the game minutes later, getting down to push away a shot from Mason Melia after Chris Forrester picked him out inside the area.
But it was Shelbourne who began to dominate possession in the latter part of the half, St Pat’s labouring to get the ball.
Jake Mulraney, who had replaced Power, did have an opportunity for St Pat’s deep in first half stoppage time, but blasted his free kick into the defensive wall.
Saints had the first sight of goal on the resumption, Luke Turner frustrated at having planted his header from a Jay McClelland corner straight at Speel.
The response came from Caffrey, his delicate chip just having too much on it as it dropped onto the roof of Anang's net after Mbeng pulled the ball back to him.
With Aidan Keena on as they went two up top, St Pat’s were having to go for it knowing that Bohemians were ahead in Drogheda.
Leavy weaved his way into a shooting position only to blaze way over the top.
But a second big save from Anang was needed to deny Shels the lead on 68 minutes, the Ghanaian springing to his right to push away Harry Wood’s drive.
With the home side finishing the stronger, the frame of Anang’s goal then thwarted them for the first time, substitute Mipo Odubkeo’s thunderous strike from some 30 yards rattling the Saints’ crossbar.
Shelbourne then wasted two opportunities to win it in stoppage time.
First Turner lost possession to gift the ball to Wood whose flick came back off post and out to safety.
McInroy, Wood, and teenage debutant James Roche then set up Substitute Dan Kelly who somehow contrived to shoot wide with only Anang to beat.
Speel; Mbeng (Roche, 71), Barrett (Temple, 60), Ledwidge, Norris (Kelly, h-t); McInroy, Coyle (Gannon, 88); Wood, Caffrey (Henry-Francis, 60), Coote; Martin (Odubeko, 60).
Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Turner, McClelland (Garrick, 84); Lennon (Robinson, 84); Leavy (Kavanagh, 74), Baggley (Keena, 58), Forrester, Power (Mulraney, 16); Melia.
Rob Harvey (Dublin).
5,417.
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