THEY'RE almost there now. A salivating St Patrick's Athletic are so close they must be able to taste the champagne and they now know that victory over Dundalk next Friday night will have them drinking from the league trophy.
Consistency, as ever with prospective league champions, has been the key. One of their few blips was at home to Galway in October, but St Patrick's avenged their sole home defeat in the last 20 months with a swagger at Richmond Park last night.
Thus, while Shelbourne were slipping out of the race with their fourth defeat in five games, St Patrick's were extending their unbeaten run to 20 games. To put together such a run at this juncture says everything about their resolve and it'll take one helluva performance to deny them the double now, never mind the league.
The pressure has intensified with each of those 20 games and the sense of freedom they experienced after settling the outcome last night with their third goal was patently obvious. In the circumstances, they indulged themselves heartily, as they were utterly entitled to and showed what a good footballing side they can be after last weekend's double clash of styles with Bohemians.
Even though the ex Galway quartet in the Saints' ranks adds an edge to these contests, in truth it was a fairly facile victory over a relegation side that performed willingly enough considering their doomed status. There was even a scenario (Shels losing Bohs failing to win) whereby they could clinch the title and bearing that in mind, Galway were never likely to withstand. Indeed although they didn't clinch the title last night they did qualify for Europe - Shelbourne's defeat ensuring that St Patrick's finish in the top two.
A feature of the unbeaten run is how Brian Kerr has expertly shuffled his forces. The recent 4-3-2-1 formation was abandoned in favour of 4-4-2, with Brian Morrisroe recalled on the left where he roved in of this wing and was a constant menace. A hungry Eddie Gormley and Noel Mernagh dictated a one sided match in central midfield.
In reality, the game was alive as a contest only as long as it remained scoreless; 23 minutes in fact. In that time, roared on by an estimated 3,800 attendance (which included Mick McCarthy), St Patrick's went for the jugular in their now characteristic Inchicore fashion.
Five corners were forced and Eddie Gormley fired over on the turn from 25 yards as Keith Lambert and company bravely stood up to the onslaught. Cue the breakthrough. Ricky O'Flaherty actually stumbled over the ball but Mark Herrick mislayed a pass straight to Brian Morrisroe. Striding forward on his less favoured right foot, he tucked a low 20 yard drive inside Robert Forde's right post.
Morrisroe was the instigator of the second goal after 33 minutes, running at the Galway defence before Liam Buckley slipped O'Flaherty through. Stepping inside a defender, he drilled home his 18th goal of the season and 13th in the league.
A rout seemed probable, all the more so when Galway pushed out en masse from the seventh home corner of nine on the night. Presented with a blanket of 19 outfield players, Willie Burke picked out Morrisroe on the left, and he reached the by line for Paul Campbell to convert the ensuing cross.
The game was up. St Patrick's knocked it about for fun; putting together one sweet six man move, Peter Carpenter juggling the ball; Gormley skipping past three men in the centre circle. No more goals but no matter, and odd, though it may sound this will have done them a power of good.
A contented Brian Kerr, in classic managerial don't count your chickens mode, commented afterwards: "We have to win one out of two to win the league but people who think they've won it before they've won it often get their comeuppance. Just think of, Bohs in Dundalk (three years ago) and last season (Derry in Athlone)."
"The players were hurt by the criticism they received after last weekend's two games against Bohemians," added Kerr. "Tonight we had some classy passing moments and I only had one thing to say to them after the game. They were brilliant."
