Aidan Keena scored twice as St Patrick’s Athletic maintained their phenomenal late season form to see off Galway United at Richmond Park.
A seventh straight league win sees Stephen Kenny’s side go clear of Galway in fourth place, to remain two points behind Derry City and Shamrock Rovers, the former the visitors to Inchicore next Friday, and four off leaders Shelbourne.
With a 4-4-2 line, John Caulfield Tribesmen took the game to St Pat’s early on with the pace of Francely Lomboto carving the first opening on 10 minutes.
A route one ball from left-back Burns found the run of the big striker who galloped past Tom Grivosti only to blaze over the top.
With Chris Forrester on his game, St Pat’s soon took control to dominate the ball, if an injury to winger Zac Elbouzedi necessitated a 28th substitution with Kian Leavy brought on.
It mattered not, as they were ahead from a superb goal four minutes later.
Jamie Lennon picked out Forrester whose sublime ball split the Galway defence for the run of Keena to confidently crash a low shot past Branden Clarke.
Despite their first half dominance, St Pat’s were fortunate not to have been pegged back by the break, Lomboto somehow contriving to toe poke wide from Pat Hickey's nod down.
The half then ended in some disorder following a booking for St Pat’s Ryan McLaughlin following a challenge on Karl O’Sullivan with Lomboto and Forrester also yellow carded in a needless scuffle that followed.
Then as the team trooped off for half-time, St Pat’s strength and conditioning coach Graham Byrne and Galway coach Chris Collopy were shown red cards when they had to be pulled away from each other.
Galway made three changes for the restart and one of them, Ed McCarty, had them level within six minutes with a stunning strike.
Jake Mulraney lost possession when pulling up with an injury. Colm Horgan burst forward to thread a ball into McCarthy in a pocket of space with the winger unleashing a drive from distance that beat Joseph Anang in off a post.
That opened the game right up with Saints twice close to regaining the lead; Brandon Kavanagh heading wide from McLaughlin’s cross before Leavy curled a shot against a post.
But they were deservedly back in front on 69 minutes from another fine goal.
Forrester again was the architect with a perfectly weighted pass through for Kavanagh who squared to Keena to tap home.
Galway chased the game to the death with Anang having to make fine saves to deprive Garry Buckley and McCarthy as St Pat’s held out for another big win.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Ryan McLaughlin (Axel Sjoberg 80), Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Anto Breslin; Jamie Lennon; Zac Elbouzedi (Kian Leavy 28), Brandon Kavanagh (Romal Palmer 80), Chris Forrester, Jake Mulraney (Jay McClelland 51); Aidan Keena.
Galway United: Brendan Clarke; Colm Horgan, Garry Buckley, Killian Brouder, Robert Burns (Regan Donelon 66); Jimmy Keohane, Conor McCormack (David Hurley h-t), Vincent Borden (Cillian Tollett, 86), Karl O’Sullivan (Ed McCarthy h-t); Patrick Hickey, Frankly Lomboto (Stephen Walsh h-t).
Reference: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
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