ST PATRICK'S ATH: 1 SHAMROCK ROVERS: 1 The competitive nature of this Dublin derby kept the amount of clear-cut openings to a minimum as both teams picked up their second point of the season at Richmond Park last night. But Shamrock Rovers will see this as two points dropped.
Trevor Molloy had the opportunity to win the match in the 89th minute, but the Rovers striker blazed over the bar after Stephen Grant had sent him through on goal.
Rovers laid down the initial marker to their landlords when a Stephen Gough penalty had them leading in the fourth minute.
The penalty was created by Alan Reynolds, who was pulled down by Davy Byrne after he skipped past him and Paul Osam.
Molloy was expected to take the spot kick, but his miss against Drogheda United last week meant the responsibility rested on the shoulders of Gough, who made no mistake despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Chris Adamson.
Rovers kept control of the match as Molloy and Shane Robinson's efforts sent further warnings of what was in store for an under-pressure St Patrick's. But all this changed 10 minutes before the break.
New Hoops goalkeeper Barry Ryan failed to gather a seemingly innocuous cross from Karim El Khebyr and Tony Bird nudged home the equaliser to send the St Patrick's faithful into hysterics. A shirtless celebration by Bird was in tune with the crowd, but a little too much for referee Jim O'Neill, who grumpily cautioned him.
Thereafter, the interval couldn't come quick enough for Rovers as their opponents, spurred on by their new found confidence, poured forward. And they should have taken the lead, but Dara Maguire failed to finish a golden opportunity at the back post after an Osam flick on.
The ball stayed down in the Rovers half early in the second half, yet St Patrick's were struggling to seriously trouble the Rovers' goalkeeper. The more this went on, the more likely it looked that Rovers would eventually punish them.
On 70 minutes a goalmouth melee finally presented a Rovers opportunity, but Liam Kelly's strike ricocheted off the head of Darragh Maguire.
Molloy's late miss compounded a disappointing evening.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: C Adamson, B Prenderville, R Casey, Karim El Kebyr, D Maguire, C Foley, P Osam, D Byrne, T Bird, M Livingstone, R McGuinness. Subs: M Holt for Casey (27 mins); D Freeman for Livingstone (72 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: B Ryan, S Gough, J Keddy, J Colwell, T Palmer, R Byrne, S Robinson, A Reynolds, L Kelly, T Molloy, S Grant. Sub: G Lacy for Kelly (85).
Referee: J O'Neill (Waterford)
