SAINT FUNNY
Dundalk rub more salt in the wounds as drop beckons
TOO big to go down? Not any more.
St Patrick’s Athletic – the 2013 Premier League champions and the last team to win the trophy before Dundalk – have never been relegated from the top flight.
But today, sitting rock bottom of the table for the second time this season, they are in big, big trouble.
Liam Buckley’s charges showed occasional glimpses of their potential in this sorry defeat to the reigning champions who got back to winning ways in front of their former star turn Daryl Horgan.
But they lacked consistency, blowing hot and cold against a visiting side that regained its swagger in attack. The clock is running down on Saints’ stay in this division although Monday’s dire 3-1 defeat at Finn Harps sounded the alarm bells more so than this defeat.
The Inchicore faithful got behind their team throughout this Richmond Park clash but the stark realisation of their plight is starting to hit home.
A tense second half of the season awaits and if they really are too big to go down as the saying goes, they need to scramble the lifeboats quick smart.
It was evident early on that Dundalk would take some stopping as they looked to atone for Tuesday’s frustrating scoreless draw at home to Derry.
While Saints upped the ante after the break, the champions always bossed proceedings and stifled the hosts who lacked spark and composure when it mattered most.
Stephen O’donnell was afforded so much space in midfield that he played as a second striker at times, until forced off with an injury early in the second half.
And but for Conor O’malley’s remarkable save to deny the Dundalk skipper from close range on the half-hour, Stephen Kenny’s men would have been home and hosed by the interval.
O’malley kept Saints in it, pulling off another smart save when smothering a Patrick Mceleney shot after he danced his way into the box past tired challenges.
But by that stage the Lilywhites were already ahead. Duffy curled home a cracking free from 25 yards after Gavin Peers fouled David Mcmillan.
Saints – who appealed for a penalty when Sean Gannon appeared to handle a Christy Fagan cross – rarely threatened.
And when they did late in the half, Gary Rogers was always on top of Darragh Markey’s tame shot.
They were better in the second half, pinning Dundalk deep early on and rattling off shots from JJ Lunney and Kurtis Byrne.
But normal order was restored soon after. Mceleney and Mcmillan (left) teased O’malley with good chances but the latter would get his reward on 68 minutes.
Mcmillan turned smartly in the box to stab the ball home and copperfasten a comfortable win which only inflicted more misery on Saints.