SAINTS BE PRAISED!
O’Connor leads Pat’s to comeback point 2 2
ST PAT’S closed out a difficult week with reason to cheer after twice coming from behind in a show of defiance at Tallaght Stadium last night.
And that fight and positive approach is precisely what the next manager will look to tap into — with Stephen Kenny still in talks over the vacancy.
Jon Daly’s axing on Tuesday came after a seventh defeat in 15 games. And only Dundalk and Galway had scored fewer goals than the Saints.
But when it was needed — with caretaker Sean O’Connor in charge here — Pat’s found the firepower to cancel out Aaron
Greene’s opener and Daniel Cleary’s go-ahead goal.
Luke Turner and the brilliant Mason Melia (16) were the Saints saviours on each occasion, refusing to allow Rovers return to winning ways after their Waterford defeat.
But goalkeeper Danny Rogers was their standout performer, as a slew of saves in each half allowed the managerless Saints lay foundations after a shaky start.
Horror
Brandon Kavanagh boasts more assists — seven — than any other Premier Division player, so he’s used to putting the ball on a plate for others. But he was looking on in horror after his fourth minute howler teed up Greene to open the scoring.
Joe Redmond played a ball out of defence to Kavanagh but instead of turning and playing off the front foot, he played it back, straight to Greene.
He didn’t have to be asked twice and Redmond, carrying that injury, was no match for him as he nailed his eighth goal of the season.
And Rovers ought to have been out of sight by the time the Saints snatched that leveller against the run of play — only for Rogers.
First, the former Ireland squad man snuffed out a Johnny Kenny effort and then he pulled off a brilliant double save to thwart Greene and Neil Farrugia.
Midway through the half, the hosts were pegged back when Cleary upended Melia with a clumsy challenge.
Turner couldn’t believe his luck. With the freedom of Tallaght in the Rovers box, he headed home Kavanagh’s free.
Rogers continued to earn his crust, denying Kenny at full stretch.
Rovers dialled up the pressure in the second-half and Rogers made another good save from Kenny. But the Hoops were back in front on the hour — and it was a carbon copy of the earlier Saints equaliser, with Cleary free to head home Conan Noonan’s free.
Level
But Pat’s were level four minutes later, with Tallaght stunned into silence.
Jamie Lennon’s punt forward allowed Melia race in behind Pico Lopes. Leon Pohls regained his footing after slipping but Melia’s finish tied the goalkeeper up in knots.
Rovers kept pushing for a winner and the South Stand thought they had one with nine minutes to play — only for Rogers once again.
Jack Byrne clipped a sweet ball to the back post where Darragh Burns steered a diving header on target, but Rogers acrobatically palmed over the bar.
Pohls’ save to bat away Kian Leavy’s wicked drive with four minutes to go was better, yet Rogers upstaged him once again by denying Darragh Nugent an injury-time winner.
Languishing in seventh, the next manager in at St Pat’s still has a massive job on their hands, and yet they are only nine points off the top.
It’s been a mad season, and it’s only May.