St Patrick's Athletic (2)

St Patrick's Athletic 2 - Dundalk 1

Conor Carty scored a dramatic late winner as St Patrick's Athletic overcame a double injury blow and a sending off to give manager Jon Daly victory in his first game in permanent charge.

The tenaciously fought win against the odds avenged a 5-0 drubbing at Oriel Park in March to make it four out of five victories for Daly in total as his side consolidated fourth place in the table, three points ahead of Dundalk.

On a perfect evening for football by the Camac, St Pat's started with intent, forcing a couple of corners inside the opening two minutes.

Mark Doyle worked Nathan Shepperd while Adam Murphy saw a shot deflected onto the crossbar before Saints' dominance told with their lead goal on the half hour.

Shepperd could only parry away Jake Mulraneyâ€™s in-swinging cross, giving winger Doyle a tap-in for his fourth goal of the season.

A pointblank save from Dean Lyness denied Dundalk skipper Patrick Hoban an equaliser six minutes later.

The game was then held up for seven minutes for a nasty injury to St Patâ€™s central defender Tom Grivosti sustained in the build up to that chance.

Having already lost right-back Axel Sjoberg to injury after just seven minutes, worried St Patrickâ€™s fans saw Grivosti carried off on a stretcher.

A loose clearance almost brought Dundalk an equaliser deep in first half added time, Robbie McCourt showing good control to rifle not far wide with a crisply struck half volley.

Sensing the vulnerability of Saints' rejigged defence, Dundalk made three changes at half-time and were level within three minutes of the resumption.

McCourt found space on the left to whip over a cross that found one of those substitutes, Rayhaan Tulloch, unmarked to nod past Lyness.

In the game's real flashpoint, St Patâ€™s were then reduced to 10 men on 54 minutes when Mulraney was shown a straight red card following a melee involving most of the players.

Though it had been instigated by Connor Malley putting Mulraney in a headlock, the Dundalk midfielder received just a yellow card.

Having defended doggedly, two substitutes then combined to win it for St Patrickâ€™s on 81 minutes.

Tommy Lonergan mesmerised Hayden Muller on the left to put over a delightfully weighted cross between Archie Davies and Shepperd.

Carty, who turned 21 on Thursday, arrived at the far post to crash his shot home off the crossbar to a rapturous reaction from the bulk of the 4089 attendance.

© rte.ie

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St Patrick's Athletic 2 - Dundalk 1

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