Drogheda United (1) - St Patrick's Athletic (3)

Drogheda United 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

St Patrick's Athletic extended their unbeaten sequence against Drogheda United to seven games and picked up a third successive Premier Division win, with Chris Forrester's first-half brace key to the 3-1 victory.

The midfielder scored either side of Dylan Grimes goal, which briefly gave United hope of gaining a positive result in front of their biggest home crowd of the season to date.

However, Eoin Doyle's late goal ensured Pat's are the division's form team ahead of their Dublin derby date with Bohemians on Friday.

Drogheda were forced into two changes from their victory over Derry City on Friday evening. With Emmanuel Adegboyega suspended and Darragh Markey out with a hamstring injury, Aaron McNally and Ryan Brennan were drafted in amidst a personnel reshuffle.

Clancy, who was denied a touchline reunion with former assistant Kevin Doherty due to the Drogheda manager's own suspension, introduced Thijs Timmermans and Thomas Lonergan for Vladislav Kreida and Eoin Doyle.

The Saints have dominated this fixture in recent times. They arrived on Boyneside unbeaten in their six previous meetings with the Drogs, winning the last three by a 9-0 aggregate score.

Both sides were buoyed by impressive wins as the weekend double-header kicked off on Friday evening. The three points they claimed in Derry propelled Drogheda into fourth position in an albeit congested early-season table.

The confidence gained from that shock result wasn't evident however as the Saints bossed the early stages. Forrester tested Colin McCabe with the game's first strike on goal. Jay McGrath glanced a Jake Mulraney corner just wide too.

Both Forrester and McGrath would have a hand in the opener. Referee Kevin O'Sullivan pointed to the spot after he judged Jarlath Jones to have handled McGrath's flicked header.

The midfielder beat McCabe from 12 yards for his seventh career goal against the claret-and-blue.

Grimes leveller came after Freddie Draper's dart at the Pat's defence was ended. The ball fell kindly to the 25-year-old who arrowed in a low shot. Parity would last just 10 minutes.

Good play on the right wing ended with Jamie McClelland being denied by the Drogheda goalkeeper.

Eventually, the ball arrived at Forrester in the area. He created enough space for himself to unerringly finish.

The visitors dominated from that point onwards and while a one-goal lead allowed Drogheda to hope they could find a route back into the game, Dean Lyness was never troubled. Doyle's late, late goal sealed another victory for a Pat's team who appear to have found their groove.

© rte.ie

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Drogheda United 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

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