St Patrick's Athletic (2)

Match Report

St Patrick's Athletic 2 - Dundalk 0

It was the visitors who had the better start and twice they went close within the opening seven minutes. On six, Robert McAuley struck a low and very hard free kick from 25 yards out that went inches wide of Barry Ryan s right post while Sean Finn tried his luck from the right of the box a minute later but he put to much weight in the effort and it grazed the crossbar as it went over.

Pat's took their time but soon settled in and Keegan had their first decent shot on target on 15 minutes but Dundalk keeper Chris Bennion got down well to block his strike. Trevor Molloy then had a snap shot on 19 minutes but again Bennion made a fine save. At the other end Robbie Dunne's header hit the crossbar on the half-hour.

Following intense pressure, Pat's opened the scoring on 38 minutes. After good work from Molloy, Michael Foley and Colm Foley, Keegan headed past Bennion from close range.

McAuley thought he had put Dundalk level on 56 minutes when he headed past Ryan but ref Damien Hancock ruled the goal out after seeing pushing in the crowded goalmouth. McAuley was then given a yellow card for protesting.

Pats boss Johnny McDonnell replaced Mark Quigley with Anto Murphy after 63 minutes and Murphy sealed the win for Pat s with a close range strike from the right just three minutes after coming on.

© www.fai.ie