St Pats drop crucial points in the title race at home to Dundalk

Dundalk’s Daryl Horgan celebrates scoring the first goal of the game from a penalty. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Dundalk 1

Though they took the lead, Dundalk couldn't avenge their 4-0 hiding on their last visit to Inchicore back in February.

But Ciaran Kilduff’s side stopped the rot of three league defeats as they matched title pretenders St Patrick’s Athletic every inch of the way in this fiercely contested clash back at Richmond Park.

That winter loss, their heaviest of the season, was attributed at the time to newly-promoted Dundalk having played three games in a week.

They recovered admirably to play their way into the season to sit fourth in the table with European qualification a target.

Adding to their draw in Waterford a fortnight ago, this result does lift St Patrick’s up to second in the table above Bohemians on goal difference.

But Stephen Kenny’s side are seven points behind champions Shamrock Rovers having failed to gain any significant ground from those two games in hand.

Rested for the FAI Cup win last week, Kian Leavy returned to the St Pat’s line-up as they looked to build on their impressive home form of nine wins from their previous 12 league games.

And a surging counter attack from the Ireland international brought the game’s first talking point on eight minutes as St Pat’s had a good shout for a penalty not entertained.

A shot from Aidan Keena ricocheted off Rob Cornwall to clearly striker team-mate Aodh Dervin’s arm but referee Kevin O’Sullivan waved away appeals.

In a lively opening St Pat’s should have been ahead minutes later but for a dreadful miss-kick by Keena dead in front of goal when found unmarked from Anto Breslin’s deep cross.

With a debut in attack for new signing Cian Dillon and recent recruit Trevor Clarke making his first league start at right wing, Dundalk rejigged following the transfers across channel of strikers Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi, but they laboured initially to get a foothold in the game.

And they survived another let-off on 16 minutes. Keena spun Mayowa Animasahun to put strike partner Ryan Edmondson through on goal. Enda Minogue was out quickly to save, though Edmondson knows he should have scored.

It was 23 minutes before Dundalk threatened. And they came within inches of taking the lead.

Harry Groome threaded a ball through for the clever run of Clarke whose shot deflected off defender Sean Hoare to strike a post.

That signalled a sustained period of possession for Dundalk, their resurgence rewarded on 34 minutes when they took the lead from a penalty.

In attempting to meet Lilywhites’ skipper Daryl Horgan’s left wing cross, Breslin’s raised arm struck the head of Clarke as they jumped for the ball. Horgan scored emphatically from 12 yards for his seventh goal of the season.

With St Pat’s then incensed that Cornwall, already booked, wasn’t penalised again for a handball, Dundalk might have doubled their lead a minute before the interval.

Groome found a pocket of space inside the Saints’ area but his volley was straight at Joseph Anang.

St Pat’s needed to be better from the resumption and they started on the front foot, Keena’s bustling run working an opening, his shot deflected round a post off Bobby Burns.

Minogue then produced the save of the night on 55 minutes, springing to his right to push Leavy’s shot round a post.

St Pat’s weren’t to be denied, however. A corner, swept over by Keena, two minutes later, brought them level. Hoare met the delivery to power a header to the net.

That led to a sustained period of St Pat’s pressure as they mined for a winner.

And while Tyreke Wilson cleared off the Dundalk line from a Joe Redmond header, Dundalk had done more than enough to deserve their share of the spoils.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Redmond, Hoare, Turner (Nugent, 90); Baggley (Forrester, 57), Lennon; Brown, Leavy, Breslin (McClelland, 57); Keena, Edmondson (Rooney, 75).

Dundalk: Minogue; T. Wilson, Animasahun, Cornwall (Vassenin, h-t), Burns (Tracey, 76); Groome, Dervin (Buckley, h-t); Clarke (McDaid, 69), Teahan, Horgan; Dillon (Gaxha, 77).

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork).

Attendance: 4,510.