Dundalk pile on the misery for Pat’s as Hoban strikes
PATRICK HOBAN scored twice as Dundalk came from behind to take a big three points from Inchicore.
A 10th straight league victory equals their 50-year record, but more importantly in this season’s title race, it stretches Dundalk’s lead at the of of the Premier Division table to four points.
Despite a bright start, St Patrick’s Athletic failed to stop the rot of their horrendous run, which sees them create a new club record of seven successive defeats.
Goalkeeper Brendan Clarke, back at the club for a third stint, came straight in following his arrival from Limerick.
And his defence were on the back foot right from the off, Kevin Toner slipping before taking down Dundalk flying winger Dylan Connolly to receive a booking just 14 seconds into the game.
Clarke then had to make the first telling stop of the game on 17 minutes.
Duffy raided in off the left flank to slide a pass through for the run of Hoban. Clarke was off his line promptly to bat the early shot out for a corner.
There was a determination about Liam Buckley’s side and it brought them the lead on 25 minutes.
The tenacity of a marauding Simon Madden won a corner on the Camac side of the ground.
Jake Keegan was allowed find room in the area to get his head to Killian Brennan’s delivery with Rogers unable to keep the ball from the net despite getting a hand to it.
Dundalk looked for an immediate response but found Clarke and a dogged home defence in their way. Former St Pat’s midfielder Jamie McGrath initially brought another instinctive reaction save from Clarke with a close range effort. Hoban looked set to score from the rebound only for a determined Lee Desmond to get across to deflect the shot out for a corner. But sloppy defending from Desmond would allow Dundalk to level six minutes into the second half. The central defender was caught in possession, gifting the ball to Duffy. He laid it off for Hoban to wrong-foot Clarke with a low drive from the edge of the area. It remained an open game with the visitors having to show their defensive mettle four minutes later. The Saints broke on a swift counter with Ryan Brennan threading Conan Byrne in on goal. Dane Massey got back to make
a vital block tackle as Byrne pulled the trigger. Dundalk proved more clinical down at the other end to take the lead on 58 minutes.
Duffy broke through the middle, fed Chris Shields on the right and the midfielder arrowed a low drive into the far corner of the net.
Rogers held a Jamie Lennon shot back at the other end before Clarke had to stretch to tip a clever Robbie Benson chip onto the bar.
St Patrick’s strived until the death, Rogers tipping over a free kick from Killian Brennan before Dundalk got their third goal on the break three minutes into stoppage time.
Substitute Kristian Adorjan broke to feed Benson who laid the ball off for Hoban to tap home his second goal of the game and 21st of the season.