LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION/St Patrick's Athletic 1 Galway United 0:HAVING WON their first five on the trot a year ago, St Patrick's Athletic know well that making the early running counts for little when it comes to the end of the race.

Still, there was an understandable sense of satisfaction among the home support after they watched their side maintain this season's 100 per cent start and move two points clear at the top of the table.

Mark Quigley capped an energetic display with the game's goal as the Dubliners' quality told in just about every department.

For their part, Galway United battled hard to stay in contention until the end, particularly after being reduced to 10 men, but in truth they would have been lucky to have taken a point.

Derek Glynn got two when they won here last season, but, with the striker injured, manager Tony Cousins opted to play just one up front, a decision that reduced their threat around goal to a handful of corners and one or two frees in the first half.

In midfield, the extra man occasionally made life a little more difficult for the hosts, but for the most part St Patrick's proved adept at finding space for themselves as they moved the ball about well.

Alan Kirby's return to the starting line-up made a difference, with the midfielder proving lively down the left, while Keith Fahey came close more than once to opening up the Galway defence.

The visitors showed impressive discipline as they repeatedly either caught the local strikers offside or intercepted attempts to drop the ball behind them.

Midway through the opening half, though, their concentration slipped momentarily and they were made to pay.

Joe O'Cearuill found Gary O'Neill with a long, low ball down the right that either Wes Charles or Marc McCullough should have dealt with, and the former Shelbourne player squared for Mark Quigley who side-footed home his first goal of the season from six yards.

When the Dubliners threatened to double their lead after Kirby had skipped past John Russell to cross, Gary Rogers reacted smartly to prevent the ball reaching the target.

Galway's best chance before the break came when Russell's corner was headed just wide by Charles.

The big defender made way for a second striker at half-time, and Galway immediately looked a little more menacing in attack for the arrival of Vinny Faherty and their sudden ability to exert a bit of pressure on Jamie Harris and Dave Partridge in central defence.

It didn't last, though, because after a brief spell of relative equality John Fitzgerald picked up his second booking of the night for hauling Quigley back after the striker had completely outpaced him on the break.

Cousins had to reshuffle again and now settled for leaving three in midfield in the hope that his side would still have enough of a presence up front to grab an equaliser.

It seemed a tall order, and as the home side settled into fairly comfortable superiority again Rogers had to make a couple of decent saves to keep his side in it, first with his foot from Kirby and then, more spectacularly, from Damien Lynch, whose fine, long-range effort had been teed up by Quigley after John Lester's mistake.

The persistence of the Galway United players late on was to be admired, but they rarely threatened Brendan Clarke's goal from play and simply couldn't find a way of stealing the goal they needed on the night.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Clarke; O'Cearuill, Harris, Partridge, Paisley; Ryan (Guy, 82 mins), Lynch, Fahey (Dempsey, 77 mins), Kirby; O'Neill (Fitzpatrick, 92 mins), M Quigley.

GALWAY UNITED: Rogers; Nooitmeer, Charles (Faherty, half-time), Fitzgerald, McCulloch (O'Shea, 71 mins); Russell, Deegan, Lester, Fenn, O'Brien; Leech.

Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).