St Patrick's Ath 2 Drogheda Utd 1:A CLINICALLY-struck first goal for his new club from Stuart Byrne got St Patrick's Athletic back to winning ways after three defeats. The 55th-minute strike inflicted a sixth defeat on bottom side Drogheda, the club who suspended Byrne for the latter end of last season amid allegations, later dropped, of player tapping.

Leading from Andy Haran’s early opening goal, Byrne struck on 55 minutes, drilling home first time from 20 yards after Mark Quigley had chested Jason Gavin’s long ball into his path.

Drogheda goalkeeper Steve Williams was busy from the 11th minute, reacting well to tip over Gavin’s header from Enda Stevens’ corner. A minute later St Patrick’s were in front. An error by 17-year-old left-back Eoghan Osbourne, on his league debut, gifted Byrne’s cross straight to Haran who calmly sidefooted home from 16 yards.

It might have been 2-0 on 20 minutes. Again Gavin got his head to a corner, from Alan Cawley, but the effort flashed just wide.

Drogheda gradually settled and almost equalised on 36 minutes. Defender James Chambers got forward to pick out midfielder Paul Shiels and his header flew into the side netting. Jamie Duffy fired an angled shot just wide of Gary Rogers’ far post on 78 minutes.

St Patrick’s then had to endure a nervy last seven minutes or so as Drogheda pulled a goal back. Duffy’s cross from the right was met by Mark Duggan who scored with a diving header.

St Patrick’s were hanging on now and, incredibly, Drogheda almost equalised on 89 minutes. Substitute William Woods’ powerful shot deflected off Duggan to whiz a foot past Rogers’ near post.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Maher (Fagan, 83 mins), Gavin, Harris, Stevens; Guy, Cawley, Lynch, Byrne; Haran (Moran, 61 mins), Quigley.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Williams; Chambers, Ryan, Kenna, Osbourne; Whelan; King (McNally, 70 mins.), Crowley (Salmon, 59 mins), Shiels (Woods, half-time), Duggan; Duffy.

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).