Dundalk (1) - St Patrick's Athletic (1)

Dundalk 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 1

Daniel Kelly came back to haunt St Patrick's Athletic once again as his goal six minutes from time earned 10-man Dundalk a share of the spoils at Oriel Park.

It looked as though Jon Daly's side were on course for victory and a move up to second in the table when Conor Carty put them ahead on 33 minutes and the home side were reduced to 10 men 10 minutes into the second half following two yellow cards in as many minutes for Rayhann Tulloch.

However, a combination of top-class goalkeeping from Nathan Shepperd and great spirit from Stephen O'Donnell's side saw them battle back, with Kelly scoring his sixth career goal against St Pat's and his fourth in as many matches.

While the Louth men will be happy with the point, Pat's will feel this was two points dropped in their battle to secure European football again next season.

There was little to report in the early stages, with the first shot of note only arriving in the 18th minute but unfortunately for Dundalk, Patrick Hoban's header from Archie Davies' free-kick was tame and easy for Dean Lyness to deal with.

St Pat's didn't register an attempt until five minutes later but Jamie Lennon couldn't keep his shot from the edge of the box down.

The visitors would take the lead on 33 minutes though, with their first shot on target. Sam Curtis's free-kick saw Jake Mulraney get in behind Robbie McCourt on the right. He then slipped the ball into Adam Murphy, who squared for Carty to slot in his fourth goal of the season.

Dundalk were unlucky not to level matters three minutes before the break when Lyness made a brilliant stop to keep out Connor Malley's header following a superb cross from the right by Davies.

St Pat's went close to doubling their lead within a minute of the restart as Curtis beat Louie Annesley to Mulraney's free-kick and then scrambled it into the side-netting with Shepperd beaten.

The home side then had a half-chance on 52 minutes when McCourt's cross found Hoban but the striker got his timing all wrong and looped his header well over.

Dundalk's task in getting back into it become even harder when Rayhann Tulloch picked up two yellows in as many minutes for fouls on Curtis and Mark Doyle to be sent off on 55 minutes.

With the extra space on the right, Mulraney should have tested Shepperd moments later when he was allowed get a shot away from the edge of the box but he fired well over.

Carty then had a big chance on the hour mark but Shepperd kept his side in the game with a brilliant point-blank save after he had been slipped in by Mulraney.

Chris Forrester then drilled wide from distance before Mulraney curled an effort just over as Pat's looked to press home their numerical advantage.

Substitute Darragh Leahy then almost conjured up an unlikely equaliser for Dundalk on 71 minutes when his cross looped over Lyness, only to just avoid going in at the back post.

Opposite full-back Davies then went close five minutes later when he cut in from the right to get a shot away that flashed just wide of the bottom left hand corner.

The former Brighton player had another great chance when the ball fell to him inside the box on 82 minutes but on this occasion he couldn't keep his effort down.

However, the equaliser would arrive two minutes later as Kelly capitalised on slackness in the Pat's defence as Noah Lewis failed to deal with Cameron Elliott's punt forward as he raced through to slot past Lyness for his third goal of the season.

The visitors did have a big chance to win it in the 90th minute when substitute Thomas Lonergan broke through, only to be denied by Shepperd before Leahy hooked clear.

Dundalk then had two chances of their own in stoppage time but neither Kelly nor John Martin could hit the target from crosses from the right as the sides had to settle for a share of the points.

© rte.ie

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Dundalk 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 1

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