General
- Saturday May 14th, 2022 @ 23:33
Report: Sligo 1-1 Saints
Darragh Burns' second-half equaliser earned a point for The Saints at The Showgrounds on Saturday night.
Former St Pat's man Aidan Keena's excellent long range strike had put Liam Buckley's side ahead at the break.
A brilliant team goal involving Chris Forrester, Eoin Doyle and Burns shortly after the restart levelled things up and neither side could find a winner.
The best opportunity of the early exchanges fell to Joe Redmond after Ben McCormack's corner was only half cleared, his shot was well saved by Sligo stopper Ed McGinty.
On a lovely evening in Sligo, it was the home side who hit the front nine minutes before the break, although so Pat's were not happy with an incident just beforehand.
16-year-old Sam Curtis, making his third league start in a row, appeared to have been fouled but the referee waved play on and then adjudged Curtis to have made a foul a few seconds later, the Bit O'Red scored from the resulting free kick.
McGinty's long ball was flicked on and found it's way to Keena, and the former Hearts man smashed his shot into the far corner, giving West Ham loanee Joseph Anang no chance.
Eoin Doyle almost equalised just before the interval, Adam O'Reilly's cross to the back post found Doyle, but his header dropped just wide.
The equaliser came six minutes after the restart and what a goal it was!
Chris Forrester's perfect through ball sent Eoin Doyle down the left, he took it on before flashing it across the area to Burns who arrived at the back post to pass it home and score his 4th goal of the season.
Sligo goalie McGinty was booked for a handball outside the box shortly afterwards as St Pat's searched for the lead goal. The resulting free from McCormack smashed off the wall and away.
That sprung the home side to life as Paddy Kirk volleyed over before Redmond made a goal saving block. Having signed a new long term contract this week, the 22-year-old was on hand to block Will Fitzgerald's effort out for a corner.
It was end to end as both sides went for it in front of a good crowd. McCormack's fantastic through ball found Burns who'd raced in off the side, but McGinty was out quickly to save.
Tim Clancy made a couple of attacking changes towards the end with Kyle Robinson and Mark Doyle coming on for Billy King and Ben McCormack, but they couldn't find a winner and had to settle for a point of the road.
Attention now turns to Friday's Dublin derby at home to Shelbourne before another Richmond Park derby against Bohemians on Monday.
