St Patrick's Athletic (1)

St Patrick's Athletic 1 - Cork City 1

Saint Patrick's Athletic blew a massive chance to close the gap on Shamrock Rovers to two points, with Ruairi Keating grabbing a last-minute equaliser to stun the home crowd.

A game that will not remain long in the memory seemed for a long time to enforce the view that Saint Patrick's Athletic might just be the biggest threat to Shamrock Rovers this season. They will have nightmares about this.

In 12 matches since Jon Daly replaced Tim Clancy, Saints have picked up 26 points, never failing to score â€“ but clearly that figure should be 28.

Jake Mulraney's stunner looked to have decided a poor game seven minutes shy of the interval but Keating embodied City's resolve and snatched an opportunistic equaliser long into injury time.

City created next to nothing but they kept plugging away and, though the sides around them are picking up points regularly, they are giving themselves a real chance of surviving the drop.

A late Derry winner rubbed salt in Saints' wound and this was a dramatic night at the top of the table.

Basking in the evening sun, the lively crowd expected a cosy Saints win, yet Cork began with some intent.

Keating and ex-Saint Tunde Owolabi were causing excess sweat among the hosts' rearguard early, as City illustrated they were not here to park the bus.

Liam Buckley patrolled the visiting dugout, perhaps unusual for a long-time Pat's legend.

City are in a battle and, in front of Buckley, Mark Doyle raided, Barry Coffey heading his cross out for a corner.

Within 17 minutes, referee David Dunne had given three yellow cards, arguably all soft.

Pat's played 4-3-3 and were allowed little time on the ball generally. However, they managed their best move of the match just after the midway point of the first half and it culminated in Jamie Lennon, the game's best player so far, stinging the hands of Tiernan Brooks.

Chris Forrester, top scorer in the league, was followed around by City players like something out of a hunt in the wild.

Forrester was quiet and, incredibly, there had barely been one chance of a goal after 38 minutes.

Then an absolute screamer. Forrester fed Mulraney, who came inside on his left and found the top corner with a world-class strike. John O'Donovan did all he could to stop the shot but there was no faulting his efforts â€“ this was all about Mulraney.

City nearly equalised with their first attack of the second half, a header from Cian Coleman â€“ who was only on the pitch since the break â€“ cleared off the line by Anto Breslin.

City only signed Tiernan Brooks on loan from Notts County within the past 24 hours and, remarkably, after twice going down from challenges, he went off injured 10 minutes into the second half, Jimmy Corcoran restored in goal.

Conor Carty had been on the game's periphery and the same could be said of Ben McCormack to an extent but they combined just after the hour mark, Corcoran making his first intervention.

Daly introduced Canadian recruit David Norman and Saints went three at the back as the final quarter approached.

Norman is left-footed but he was put right of a three, the imperious teenager Sam Curtis manning the middle.

Forrester nearly played in Carty and his collision with Corcoran saw Brooks' replacement now needing treatment, clinching his face.

It was that sort of stop-start and forgettable fare, Dean Lyness awoken from the soporific nature of proceedings to keep out a Keating volley with 10 minutes to go.

Keating has been a surprise hit this season for City and he capitalised on some sloppy defending to hook the ball beyond Lyness with his left foot.

He is becoming something of a cult hero at Turner's Cross and, Saints forcing a corner at the death, who was it to head away?

That man Keating, of course, and Daly looked at what was unfolding in disbelief.

© rte.ie

Match Report

St Patrick's Athletic 1 - Cork City 1

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