St Patrick's another step nearer title

THE BALL is well and truly in St Patrick's Athletic's court now and if Brian Kerr's side hold what they have and take the league title then there may just be a mention for UCD in the celebration speeches.

Nine points from nine against the Belfield side is more than the leaders could realistically have hoped for but the fact that the students also took points from every one of the other serious contenders in recent weeks was a bonus that may easily prove decisive by April 26th when Shelbourne end the campaign in Inchicore.

Last night UCD put their recent relegation worries behind them and took the game to their hosts, but, unlike the meetings with Shelbourne, Bohemians and Sligo, they were caught out more than once with John McDonnell firing home early in the second half and the prolific Ricky O'Flaherty finishing them off in the dying seconds on the break.

Recent weeks had brought their fair share of hiccups for the long time pace setters but still their form at home held out with no team since Galway, back in October, taking all three points away with them. And last week's hard fought win against a determined Drogheda side must have settled the nerves.

Like United before them, UCD clearly came to Richmond Park with serious business on their minds but, unlike the Louth men, their form over the past few weeks made it look like they might be capable of completing it. Early on they were full of confidence and for much of this encounter there was very little to choose between two teams who have spent the season in different regions of the league table.

Each team controlled the right hand side of midfield last night with Eddie Gormley and Noel Mernagh doing what was expected of them but Jason Colwell and Ciaran Kavanagh more than matched their opponents for ingenuity and enterprise.

In defence both sides also held sway and for much of the tussle that involved a great deal of endeavour. From very early on neither goalkeeper had little to do, other than keeping warm, to bother them unduly.

The return to full fitness and availability of Gormley had a predictably positive impact on his side's movement of the ball in midfield with the former Spurs man at the centre of much of the action, while he threatened repeatedly to cause difficulties for the four man UCD defence.

Early on, though, it was the crossing of Paul Campbell, in for Peter Carpenter at full back, especially from free kicks around the edge of the area, that seemed most likely to yield a goal for the title chasers.

Under pressure, however, the students coped well and when he did manage to find space to run into, O'Flaherty always found himself closed down again before any serious danger could be posed to Seamus Kelly's goal.

Liam Kelly went closest for St Patrick's in the opening period but his shot from 10 yards merely demanded that Kelly hold his ground and, as Jason Sherlock and Mick O'Byrne ran tirelessly at the other end, it was obvious that it was only going to take a momentary lapse of concentration for the locals to find themselves behind.

Sherlock's 15th minute effort off Jonathan Treacy's low cross bounced harmlessly wide of the left post while O'Byrne's attempted volley, after some quick thinking by the Dublin footballer with a second half free, ran to safety.

In the end, it was the locals who broke the deadlock with John McDonnell finding himself clear after Gormley's free had been poorly cleared and from the time he drove home from a very difficult angle, the students were always chasing the game.

To their credit, they pushed the ball around well and ran hard as St Patrick's, eased up but they were increasingly exposed at the back. Having failed to put O'Flaherty through once, Brian Morris Roe learned from his error in the dying seconds and St Patrick's top scorer brought the ball nicely for 30 yards before slotting home in off the right post.