Bohemians 3 St Patrick's Ath 1:BOHEMIANS SHOWED their champions credentials as they moved back a point clear at the top of the Premier Division table, duly capitalising on Shamrock Rovers' long unbeaten run coming to an end.
Pat Fenlon’s title-holders scarcely had to move out of third gear as they won at a canter against a St Patrick’s side that drop three points adrift in the play-off zone.
While Bohemians made just the one change, with leading scorer Jason Byrne returning from suspension, St Patrick’s boss Pete Mahon made five switches from the side that beat Bray Wanderers on Friday night, stringing five across midfield.
Having bounced back from their defeat at Shamrock Rovers, which cost the champions the leadership of the table, with impressive wins over Drogheda and at Cork, Bohemians looked sharp, troubling St Patrick’s from the off.
Vulnerable defensively in the air, the visitors’ poor marking afforded early headers for Bohemians’ captain Paul Keegan, which was straight at goalkeeper Brendan Clarke, and Jason Byrne, who planted his effort from Conor Powell’s precise delivery just over the bar.
Bohemians’ early pressure got its due reward on 24 minutes, but not before a farcical delay following an incorrect offside decision.
Winger Bobby Ryan’s feeble attempted header to Clarke fell for the retreating Byrne, who lobbed the goalkeeper.
Assistant referee Rhona Daly wrongly flagged Byrne offside, to vehement protests from the Bohemians players and howls of derision from the main stand. Referee Declan Hanney consulted his colleague on the line and promptly awarded the goal.
The St Patrick’s defending scarcely improved and they were further behind on 34 minutes as they once again failed to defend a ball into their area.
Paddy Madden won a free-kick on the right for Keegan to put over with pace. And defender Ken Oman, who scored in Cork on Friday, was first to the ball to head home off the underside of the crossbar.
Glenn Cronin let fly from some 30-odd yards to bring a save from Clarke minutes later as St Patrick’s remained under the cosh.
The one-way traffic continued into the second half with Bohemians extending the lead from the goal of the night five minutes in. Brennan cut in from the right, delightfully nutmegging Gary Dempsey 25 yards out, before drilling a left-foot shot to the bottom right corner of Clarke’s net for a inspirational goal.
The winger might have added a second on 68 minutes, rifling narrowly wide as Bohemians remained rampant.
Stephen Maher relieved the siege minutes later when bringing a comfortably save from the largely redundant Brian Murphy with a shot on the turn.
Service resumed at the other end, though, as Powell rampaged forward from left-back to drill a shot wide across goal.
St Patrick’s got a consolation goal on 88 minutes when Mark Quigley was alert to shoot into an unguarded net after Anto Murphy’s back-pass put goalkeeper Murphy under pressure from substitute Glen Fitzpatrick.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; A Murphy, Shelley, Oman (Deegan, 72 mins), Powell; Brennan (Fenn, 77 mins), Cronin, Keegan, Ndo; J Byrne, Madden (Crowe, 72 mins).
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke; Lynch, Harris, Partridge, D Ryan; Maher, Dempsey (Lester, 57 mins), Cawley (O’Brien, 57 mins; Fitzpatrick, 68 mins), Byrne, B Ryan; Quigley.
Referee: Declan Hanney (Dublin).
