Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in tonight's SSE Airtricity League Premier Division encounter at Tallaght Stadium.
Nothing could separate the sides, as the managerless Saints, who surprisingly relieved Jon Daly of his duties after just over a year in charge, showed great character to twice fight back to earn a morale-boosting point.
It was the hosts, looking to bounce back from a shock 3-1 home defeat to Waterford, that got the dream start taking the lead in the fourth minute. Brandon Kavanagh dropped deep to receive the ball from his defence, but laid it off straight to the in-form Aaron Greene who turned and ran straight at goal. The league’s current player of the month was clinical, smashing the ball across goal finding the inside of the post.
Saints skipper Joe Redmond returned to the side after recovering from an ankle injury, however, the captain struggled to get up to speed as the pace and clever movement of both Greene and Johnny Kenny looked a threat in behind.
And the dynamic duo should have doubled their lead with a quarter of an hour played when Greene broke free down the left before squaring to the unmarked Kenny, but under-hit his pass allowing Danny Rogers to smother.
But somewhat against the run of play, Saints levelled when Kavanagh atoned for his error by delivering an inviting free kick from the left right to the arriving Luke Turner who made no mistake with his header from point-blank range.
Incredibly it was the visitors who could have found themselves ahead at the break when the Kavanagh-Turner combination almost paid dividends from the opposite side. The ex-Shamrock Rovers attacker found the Dubliner at the back post but, from just a couple of yards out, managed to head over with the goal at his mercy.
The frenetic pace continued after the break and with an hour played, the hosts got themselves back in front, and in eerily similar fashion to the Pat's goal, when Dan Cleary finished a back-post header from Conan Noonan’s set piece.
But just like in the first half, the Saints struck back almost immediately when Mason Melia raced onto Jamie Lennon’s ball over the top before lifting it over the oncoming Leon Pohls, who lost his footing as he rushed out, allowing the Irish underage star the time to equalise.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.
Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pohls; Dan Cleary, Roberto Lopes, Joshua Honohan; Neil Farrugia, Darragh Nugent, Markus Poom, Conan Noonan (Jack Byrne, 61’), Sean Kavanagh (Darragh Burns, 61’ (Trevor Clarke, 90+5); Aaron Greene, Johnny Kenny (Graham Burke, 76’)
St Patrick’s Athletic: Danny Rogers; Luke Turner, Conor Keely, Joe Redmond, Anto Breslin; Brandon Kavanagh (Kian Leavy, 72’), Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester, Aaron Bolger; Mason Melia (Alex Nolan, 90’), Ruairi Keating (Jake Mulraney, 61’)
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
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