Sport

Gallagher saves best for last for St Patrick's League Cup Semi-final

James Gallagher proved the hero for St Patrick's Athletic with a hat-trick of penalty saves in a dramatic shoot-out as Eamonn…

Tue Jul 08 2003 - 01:00

James Gallagher proved the hero for St Patrick's Athletic with a hat-trick of penalty saves in a dramatic shoot-out as Eamonn Collins' inexperienced side won through to their fourth League Cup final.

Former Republic of Ireland Youths goalkeeper Gallagher made excellent diving saves from Billy Woods, Conor O'Grady and then Denis Behan as St Patrick's won the lottery to make it through to a meeting with the winners of tonight's other semi-final between Longford Town and Derry City.

Tony Bird, Keith Dunne and Anthony Murphy scored from the spot for St Patrick's, with Davy Byrne's effort saved by Michael Devine.

John O'Flynn had converted Cork's first penalty, but that was as good as it was to get as Gallagher came into this own to prove the match-winner in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

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The attitude of both managers, new this season in their respective positions, to the competition provided an interesting preface. While Cork's Pat Dolan fielded their strongest 11, including the country's top scorer in O'Flynn, who was a major fitness doubt with a knee injury, counterpart Eamonn Collins kept faith with most of the fringe players who got St Patrick's this far, with only Byrne and Barry Prenderville, of the side that drew 2-2 in Derry in the league last Thursday, starting.

But in a blitzkrieg start, it was St Patrick's utility team that might have found themselves 2-0 up within two minutes.

Liam George, played in by Byrne, held of the challenge of Neal Horgan to get in a shot of sorts that Cork's Devine gathered at the second attempt. Keith Dunne then raced through the same inside-left channel to find himself in on Devine within a minute but Devine put the ball out for a corner with his feet.

The more experienced Cork were struggling to settle, but in striker George O'Callaghan and O'Flynn they always posed a threat, with St Patrick's having to defend frantically to keep them out in their first serious attack on 15 minutes.

O'Callaghan delicately flicked through Colin T O'Brien's ball to O'Flynn, and Jamie Harris had to execute a perfectly-timed tackle to kick the ball off the toe of O'Flynn as he was about to shoot.

Cork enjoyed some possession but were never allowed to settle on the ball as St Patrick's eagerness and pace was infectious.

So much so it forced an error from Alan Bennett on 31 minutes when he was caught in possession by the lively Dunne, but Horgan bailed out his fellow defender with a timely clearance.

But there was plenty of passion and desire in St Patrick's and it almost brought the opening goal the game needed on 59 minutes.

Devine initially cleared at the feet of the inrushing George. But the danger remained in the guise of Dunne whose clever, first-time chip had to be headed over the bar by the retreating Bennett with Devine still stranded on the ground.

O'Flynn should have spared us extra-time, but shot wide after O'Callaghan had skipped past Prenderville to set him up.

Penalties might then have been avoided in the 110th minute but St Patrick's substitute Darragh Maguire steered his header from George's free kick wide.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Gallagher; Quigley (Maguire, 94 mins), Prenderville, Harris, Marney; Quinn (Bird, 57 mins), Byrne, Murphy, Holt (Livingstone, h/t); Dunne, George.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan (Hedderman, 97 mins), Bennett, D. Murray, Woods; Doyle (Care, 17 mins), O'Grady, CT O'Brien, K. Murray (Behan, 102 mins); O'Callaghan, O'Flynn.

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).