St Patrick's Athletic (5)

St Patrick's Athletic 5 - UCD 0

St Pat's Athletic ran out easy 5-0 winners over UCD at Richmond Park to extend their lead at the top of the Airtricity League Premier Division.

Goals from Killian Brennan, Conan Byrne, Chris Forrester and a brace from Jake Kelly extended their unbeaten league run to 12 games - and with it a lead now of five points over defending champions Sligo Rovers.

Away to the league leaders they may have been, but Martin Russell UCD weren't lacking in confidence in coming to Inchicore on the back of an unbeaten four-match run and they carved the first opening that should have brought them the lead on 10 minutes.

Gary Burke and David McMillan combined to thread Robbie Benson in on goal, but the striker's curling shaved the bar.

But that was to be just about it for UCD as St. Patrick's responded to dominate.

The home side somehow contrived to go off the interval without having converted one of a host of chances.

John Russell planted a downward header just wide from their first chance a minute after UCD's miss before Forrester flummoxed the visitors' rearguard with a one-two with Christy Fagan only to shoot tamely at O'Donnell.

A minute later Ger O'Brien broke on the right to feed Byrne inside him with the winger rifling low into the side netting.

And the chances kept coming. A foul by Burke on the influential Russell on 40 minutes saw Brennan blast a free-kick off the edge of the College crossbar.

Forrester then nicked the ball off UCD defender James Kavanagh to put Russell in. But the midfielder's weak shot was parried away by the alert O'Donnell.

Having huffed and puffed in front of goal in the first half, it took St. Patrick's just a minute of the second to finally get their noses in front.

Kenny Browne's header from Byrne's corner was pushed out by O'Donnell and Brennan reacted well to rifle to the net off his left foot.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Eagle-eyed Russell slipped Byrne through on goal and the former Student drilled a left-foot shot past O'Donnell.

A defensive slip then gifted Forrester a clean run on goal and he raced in to dink the ball cleverly over O'Donnell for the third on 71 minutes to end the game as any kind of contest.

Substitute Jake Kelly added the fourth on 83 minutes, a solo run putting him on goal to drill a low shot past O'Donnell

Kelly added his second four minutes later, confidently finishing off a move involving Sean Gannon and Forrester.

© rte.ie

Match Report

St Patrick's Athletic 5 - UCD 0

Match Info

Home Team

Away Team

Officials

Goalscorers

Yellow Cards

Red Cards

St Patrick's Athletic FC

Latest Posts

Conor Carty Is Back at St Pat's

Sean Hoare Returns To The Saints

Patron Saints Support New Community Officer

Useful Links

Contact Us