RICH PICKINGS
Saints ease home fans’ fears with comeback win
SAINTS’ stomach for the fight had been questioned all season. But when it mattered most they rose to the occasion in stunning fashion to take a big step towards safety at Richmond Park last night. Only Galway’s late equaliser in Limerick took the gloss off but a point away to Derry on the final night will ensure their top flight status. Trailing 2-0 to the champions after 19 minutes, the prospect of relegation for the first time in their history not only looked a possibility but felt inevitable having folded so easily. Rocked to the core, their miserable campaign now boiled down to a 70minute spell where they could roll the dice again in next week’s final game – or roll the sleeves up here and now. And what a response! Jordi Balk and Billy Dennehy cancelled out Ryan Delaney and Kieran Sadlier’s goals by half-time and the Saints surged onwards after the break like a team possessed. Ian Bermingham tucked away the lead goal before Kurtis Byrne added the gloss to see off the champions. Any early hopes the Saints harboured of the new champions easing off the gas were hopelessly misplaced as John Caulfield’s charges galloped into a 2-0 lead. Curtains, right? Think again. Liam Buckley reacted by hauling Paul O’conor ashore for Kurtis Byrne and the substitute added a much needed spur in the final third. Balk – with family over from Holland for the night – stooped to head home a Conan Byrne corner at the far post. Game on. And three minutes before the break, Richmond Park exploded into life when Dennehy latched on to Fagan’s through ball to turn Delaney and beat Alan Smith with a sweet strike. A side that looked cooked early on was now playing scintillating stuff and they completed a remarkable turnaround just after the hour. Owen Garvan started a move that saw Fagan and Kurtis Byrne exchange delicious one-touch passes, with Fagan slipping Bermingham through. The pass was marginally overhit and Shane Griffin awkwardly took the sting out of it but the Saints captain was a man on a mission and smashed it home. And there was still more to come. The excellent Dennehy scampered down the left and crossed for Kurtis Byrne who confidently headed past Smith for a remarkable victory that sparked a pitch invasion.