St Patrick's Athletic 0 Drogheda Utd 1:TEENAGER EOGHAN Osbourne knocked St Patrick's Athletic off the top of the table with a dramatic late, late winner at Richmond Park last night.

Youth international Osbourne, just gone 18, struck to give Drogheda their first win of the campaign as the clock ticked into its fourth minute of stoppage time.

Substitute John Flood was fouled by St Patrick’s defender Shane Guthrie and Osbourne rifled a low free-kick through the wall and past Gary Rogers into the far corner of the net.

Having more than matched champions Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Tuesday night, St Patrick’s were mysteriously sluggish as it was Drogheda who were the better side in the first half.

Rogers was certainly the busier goalkeeper before the break, twice getting down well to save well-struck shots from distance from Robbie Martin.

Though on the back foot for most of the half, St Patrick’s did trouble Drogheda when they got forward. Stuart Byrne’s cross from the right was helped on by both Paul Byrne and Vinny Faherty for Brian Cash to blast over the bar on 24 minutes. Faherty then shot into the side-netting.

Paul Byrne headed straight at Paul Murphy from Derek Pender’s cross and Brian King then cleared off the line from Conor Kenna as Drogheda defended desperately from a Gareth Coughlan corner on 75 minutes before the late drama unfolded at the other end.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:Rogers; Pender, Guthrie, Kenna, Lynch; Guy, Mulcahy, S. Byrne, Cash (Coughlan, 71 mins); P Byrne, Faherty (Williams, 81 mins).

DROGHEDA UNITED:Murphy; King, McNally, Harris, Osbourne; Daly, O'Connor, Crowley, Martin (E. McGill, 90 mins); Duffy (Flood, 83 mins), Fitzpatrick.

Referee:R Winter (Dublin).