SPOT OF LUCK
Late, late drama as Saints go extra mile
AS LAST-GASP wins go, t his was as nerve- jangling as they come for the title-chasing Saints who required a 93rd-minute penalty to puncture Cork City’s rugged resistance.
Just when the heroics of City goalkeeper Mark McNulty seemed to have repelled all boarders and earned 10-man City a draw, Killian Brennan was the spot-kick saviour as the leaders converted one point into a gold-embossed three.
Before the stoppage-time drama t here was s peculation t hat McNulty should change his name to Mandrake by deed poll after a magical display.
He pulled off at least six superb saves, three in each half, all different in their own way, and the City custodian didn’t deserve to lose. The commiserations offered by Saints players to him afterwards were genuine.
On another night, St Patrick’s Athletic would have cashed in on Kalen Spillane’s dismissal in the 54th minute after he was involved in an off-the-ball incident with Anto Flood.
But the Saints left their chin exposed to fall behind to Ciaran Kilduff’s third goal for City on the hour and were, ultimately, indebted to Flood’s spectacular equaliser 90 seconds later.
In a rollicking duel, how a freshened up Saints weren’t in front by half-time was a mystery.
On three occasions, McNulty, no relation to the golfer riding high in the British Seniors Open, denied the Saints to ensure his team reached the sanctuary of half-time on level terms.
First, McNulty superbly pushed away Conan Byrne’s inswinger in the 20th minute — it l ooked suspiciously like a cross from the Saints wing man.
On the half hour, McNulty did even better, blocking Brennan’s point-blank header with his legs after John Russell’s cross unhinged the City defence.
His third act of defiance was to thwart Chris Forrester whose header was destined f or the bottom corner until McNulty flung himself to his left to parry.
The blitzkrieg saw Saints claim a penalty when Ian Bermingham’s cross appeared to catch Neal Horgan on the arm while Killian Brennan blazed wide f rom a promising position.
Also culpable was John Russell who elected t o shoot when Brennan and Byrne were screaming for the ball, unattended, in the penalty area.
As is often the case, performance levels can sag when fine play goes unrewarded and the St Pat’s had switched off briefly when Spillane got himself sent off.
It followed a half-hearted penalty appeal by Forrester, which Spillane felt was frivolous, and when he and Flood went nose to nose, like rutting stags, the slightest contact was al ways likely to bring sanction.
After Spillane’s dismissal, the Saints were caught napping when Kilduff burst through the inside r i ght channel and threaded his shot between Brendan Clarke’s legs.
It sparked a brief pitch invasion, in addition to a feisty reply from the Saints, who were level within 90 seconds with a Flood pearler.
The beanpole striker twisted and turned in the box, leaving City defenders in a tizzy, before chipping the ball beyond McNulty into the top corner.
The equaliser sparked off a furious onslaught from the Saints.
McNulty twisted like a mongoose to beat away Byrne’s pile-driver, and Forrester was then denied before Flood watched in disbelief as McNulty somehow palmed a goal- bound header on to the crossbar.
And then, as the clock ticked deep into stoppage time, Brennan was tugged back in the box by Ciaran Kilduff and referee Padraig Sutton pointed to the spot.