Pats leave room for improvement despite easy win
and Damien Boyle cut the deficit, it was back out to six points again when Daniel O’Connor and Conor Grogan made it 1-6 to 0-3.
Pats looked very comfortable as half-time approached, but O Raghallaigh’s grabbed a lifeline when Chris Smith and Ben Rogan combined to set up Andrew Rogan for a simple punch to an empty net.
It was a sloppy goal from Pat’s point of view, but it had the desired effect on Raghallaigh’s, inspiring further scores from Barry Flanagan, which cut the gap to the minimum at the break, 1-6 to 1-5.
But as hard as they grafted to lay that platform, it all but collapsed on O Raghallaigh’s after the break.
Daniel O’Connor, Paddy Keenan and Cathal Grogan gave Pats some breathing space with a point apiece before a Eoin O’Connor swooped for his and Pat’s second goal.
In a mirror image to his first-half finish, this time the big full-forward turned int a Rory Duffy pass from the edge of the square.
The excellent Danny O’Connor followed up with a quickfire brace and when Keenan converted a free on the three-quarter mark, Pat’s were 10 clear, 2-12 to 1-6.
While it was never going to affect the outcome, Pat’s will have been disappointed to conceded a second goal in the closing stages as Ben Rogan was afforded two chances to beat Sean Connor.
Flanagan also managed a late free, but it was sandwiched by a free from Keenan and one from play by Eoin O’Connor as Pat’s eased to a last-eight clash with the Blues.
The group stages have been a mixed bag for Davy Nelson’s troops, but they will have to find more consistency to trouble the in-form Drogheda outfit.
O Raghallaigh’s supporters will be similarily concerned about their team’s prospects over the coming weeks.
Their first shot at a ‘get out of jail’ card will be against Kilkerley Emmets, with Cooley Kickhams awaiting the outcome of the St Mary’s / St Joseph’s play-off on the other side of the draw.
ST PATRICK’S: Sean Connor; Aaron Rogers, Darren O’Hanlon, Jason Woods; Conor Grogan 0-1, Dessie Finnegan, Rory Duffy; Paddy Keenan 0-3 (2f), Thomas McCann 0-1; Cathal Grogan 0-1, Evan White 0-1, Aidan Mccann 0-1; Daniel O’Connor 0-3, Eoin O’Connor 2-2, Ray Finnegan 0-1. Subs: Daniel Rice for R Duffy (53), Sean McGeough for D O’Connor (56).
O RAGHALLAIGH’S: Joe Flanagan; Thomasd Callan, Ciaran Brassil, Stephen Murphy; Eoin Moore 0-1, Chris Smith, Sean Grennan; James Moonan, Robert Mulroy; Andrew Rogan 1-0, Barry Flanagan 0-3 (2f), Ruairi Moore 0-1; Damien Boyle 0-1f, Ben Rogan 1-1, Alan Doyle. Subs: Jack Carr for S Grennan, Eoin Morrisson for R Mulroy, Liam Hanna for A Rogan, John Matthews for E Moore, Olan Walshe for T Callan, Cillian Curran for D Boyle.
REFEREE: Paul Kneel.