SAINTS’ SEASON TAKES UPWARD TURN’
Bradley happy as his champions’ post-interval prowess comes to the fore again in Waterford
knew it was going to be a tricky game at times.
“I thought we dealt with those aspects pretty well in terms of our attitude and mindset, and got an important three points.”
Conceded
Waterford boss Keith Long bemoaned the defending for Rovers’ first goal, saying: “Our line was too high and we conceded a really poor goal.
“But we started
LUKE Turner scored twice from right-back to get St Pat’s season back on track at Richmond Park yesterday.
Nominally a centreback, the 21-year-old slotted in on the right of defence in the absence of Kieran Freeman and Axel Sjoberg but did his most telling work at the other end.
Defeat ended the second-half really brightly, conceded a goal and then we came again and got our own goal, and I thought we were on top at that particular time.
“The second goal, Pico Lopes has got a good run on Grant, he shows his experience and his desire to put his head on a good cross where we don’t get pressure on the ball.
“It’s a little bit fortunate for Rovers how the ball ends in a crossing position and a little bit unfortunate for us. a sluggish Sligo’s fourmatch unbeaten run, though they stay second. Of concern, too, for boss John Russell will be the welfare of his
New Zealand defender
BEST FOOT FORWARD: Shamrock Rovers’ Darragh Burns finds the net at the RSC; (inset) Stephen Bradley
“They see the game out probably quite comfortably then.
“It’s a very experienced side, winners for the last four years and they’ve got a lot of quality players.”
For Rovers, the win came at a cost, with Grace and Greene hobbling off with a hamstring injury and dead-leg respectively.
Nando Pijnaker who needed treatment on the pitch after a collision with goalkeeper Ed McGinty before being taken off on a stretcher.
Club
St Pat’s were ahead on 10 minutes. Conor Keeley headed Jake Mulraney’s corner for Turner, who drilled his right-foot shot to the net for his first goal for the club.
Pat’s doubled their lead on 42 minutes. Sub Brandon Kavanagh’s corner found Turner at the back post and he outmanoeuvred Niall Morahan to score with a diving header.
On 86 minutes, Pat’s 16-year-old sub Mason Melia curled a superb shot home from outside the box.
Harvey Macadam (for McDonald 62): 6 Maleace Asamoah (for Evans 62): 6 Gbemi Arubi (for Forde 81) Dean McMenamy (for McCourt 90)
GRAHAM BURKE
worked really hard and was a big threat.
Leon Pohls ..................................... 6 Dan Cleary ..................................... 6 Sean Hoare ..................................... 7 Lee Grace ...................................... 6 Darragh Burns ................................ 7 Richie Towell ................................. 6 Gary O’Neill ................................... 6 Conan Noonan ................................ 7 Markus Poom ................................ 6 Graham Burke ............................... 6 Aaron Greene ................................ 6
Roberto Lopes (for Grace 31): 7 Darragh Nugent (for Towell 61): 6 Trevor Clarke (for Noonan 76) Josh Honohan (for Burke 76) Cian Dillon (for Greene 76)
GRANT HORTON
lost Darragh Burns for the opener.
REFEREE:
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers 7; Turner 8, Redmond 7, Keeley 7, Breslin 7; Bolger 6 (McClelland, 90+1, 6, Lennon 7; Nolan 7 (Melia, 77, 6), Leavy 6 (Forrester, 77, 6), Mulraney 7 (B. Kavanagh, 29, 7); Keating 6 (C. Kavanagh, 90+2, 6).
SLIGO ROVERS: McGinty 7 (Brush, 82, 6); Wiggett 6 (Waweru, h-t, 6), Denham 7, Pijnaker 7 (Reynolds, 72, 6), Hutchinson 6; Malley 7, Morahan 7; Hartmann 6 (Radosavljevic, 82, 6), Chapman 6, Fitzgerald 6; Mata 6 (Smit, 60, 6).
Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin) 6. Attendance: 3,825
KEVIN DOHERTY had no complaints about Luke Heeney’s second-half sending off that left Drogheda United hanging on for a point in the Louth derby at Oriel Park.
The Drogs had enjoyed the better of things in the first half but failed to pick up a first win in six outings against their fierce rivals.
Their lack of cutting edge in front of goal came back to bite them as they played out a second scoreless draw in three days.
A share of the spoils at least means United have ended a fivegame losing streak in the derby and means Dundalk are still rooted to the foot of the table.
Heeney was dismissed in the
70th minute for hacking down Sam Durrant as the winger raced down the left flank.
Referee Paul McLaughlin showed a straight red card.
Doherty said: “I thought it was harsh but if Paul sees it as foul play, that’s what it is.”
“It really hurt us but we defended so, so well.”
Post
Goalkeeper Andrew Wogan was fortunate to see the ball come back off the post after the Ireland Under 21 call up failed to hold onto Jamie Gullan’s free-kick.
Archie Davies’ injury time dismissal took the wind out of Dundalk’s sails.
Having first been booked for squirting water at Hayden Cann, Davies received another yellow card for kicking the ball away.
Dundalk improved after the break, helping raise the atmosphere inside the ground amongst the 2,000 home supporters.
But still, they couldn’t find a goal. The Lilywhites haven’t scored at Oriel Park in four outings this season.
After Gary Deegan and Jack Keaney shot off target in the first half, Robbie Benson’s long-range volley whistled past the post.
The closest Drogheda, who again left striker Frantz Pierrot on the bench, came after the break was when Adam Foley saw a left foot volley just miss the top corner.
Heeney’s sending off came soon afterwards and it seemed Drogheda were there for the taking.
As has been the case this season, Dundalk could not capitalise.
The visitors defended stoutly to their credit as the 177th derby finished scoreless.
DUNDALK: Munro 6; Davies 6, Johnson 6, Animasahun 7, Mountney 6; High 6, Oostenbrink 7 (Horgan, 78); O’Kane 5, Benson 7, Durrant 7 (Mahon, 85); Gullan 5.
DROGHEDA: Wogan 5; Heeney 6, Keaney 7, Cann 7, Weir 6; Deegan 7, Gallagher 6; Foley 5 (Cailloce, 79), Markey 6, Davis 6 (Quinn, 72 6); Bawa 5 (Pierrot, 54 5).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin 6