PAT’S BOON
Saints on song as challengers refuse to get off champions’ coat tails
EVEN ON one of his quieter nights, Chris Forrester is still capable of a couple of match-winning contributions.
An opening goal and a big hand in St Patrick’s second, scored by Robbie Benson (below), ensured Shamrock Rovers would still remain at the top of the table on goal difference alone.
It had been a frustrating evening for the brilliant midfielder and his team-mates up to his 61st minute opener.
But the result pushed the Saints up one place to second, ahead of Sligo Rovers who are in action tomorrow.
And Benson’s late strike sent the Boynesiders down one to fifth behind Bohemians, who also play tomorrow, on goal-difference. Fine margins.
The majority of the thousand-odd fans inside Richmond Park last night spent most of the evening wondering where the breakthrough would come from.
Drogheda had the better of the early halfchances, with Killian Phillips firing wide from 20 yards and then failing to make clean contact on a free header on 14 minutes.
The heat may well have been a factor in the largely unproductive early stages. It was warm enough for referee Derek Tomney to allow water breaks midway through each half.
As the mercury dropped, the intensity – particularly from the hosts – picked up.
Paddy Barrett was their main target from set-pieces and twice from first-half corners he had opportunities to open the scoring.
His first header flew well wide of the target, while his second ricocheted off Drogheda centre-half Daniel O’reilly into the path of Lee Desmond. The Saints ace got his angles all wrong with his finish, however, and drilled the ball several yards outside the left-hand upright.
Darragh Burns came closest to opening the scoring deep into first-half injury-time when he spun inside the United area and flashed a shot just wide of the post.
Another Burns effort, this time well off target, nine minutes into the secondhalf suggested there would be more frustration for the hosts.
However, Forrester had other ideas. Better known for his spectacular goals, he settled for a six-yard finish last night to get the hosts off the mark.
Jason Mcclelland found Burns on the right of the area with a pass that drew gasps from the St Pat’s substitutes sitting in the main stand behind the home dugout.
Burns drew goalkeeper David Odumosu off his line and unselfishly squared to Forrester, who held an onside position to tap the ball into an empty net from close range.
Drogheda went in search of a quick reply, but Dane Massey, who scored a cracker in the reverse fixture in May, sent his free-kick high over the bar.
It was left to Forrester to get the ball rolling for the points-sealing Benson goal. His excellent ball down the inside left channel sent Matty Smith racing into the area, where he cut inside onto his right foot and forced a block save from Odumosu.
Unfortunately for the Drogheda keeper the ball spilled to Benson and he made no mistake from eight yards.