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St Patrick's Athletic vs Derry City

Saint Patrick's Athletic underlined their status as the league's in-form team with a statement demolition of title challengers Derry City.

Goals from Jay McGrath and Eoin Doyle had the Saints two-nil up on the hour mark, before Cian Kavanagh got one back to spark thoughts of a City comeback.

However, Jon Daly's men were always the better side today and ran-out comfortable winners after Chris Forrester and Mark Doyle found the net late on.

Their sixth win in seven games, the Saints now occupy third in the table, level on points with Derry and just four behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.

For many home fans here tonight, this was about revenge. The Candystripes came here and embarrassed them with a 4-0 trashing last season, before cruelly returning to take fan-favourite Adam O'Reilly from Inchicore at the end of the season.

Chants throughout the night made it clear those events were still fresh in the mind. And that's what made victory all the sweeter for the 4,000 home fans who celebrated long into the summer sunset.

Starting with six players under the age of 23, the Saints, led by their young stars, bubbled with confidence.

Teenager Sam Curtis led the effort from right-back, while Adam Murphy worked tirelessly to win his midfield battles.

The latter's success allowed Ben McCormack to strike an early volley. However, Brian Maher gathered it well.

Derry, for their part, jabbed back.

Meandering down the line, Ronan Boyce cut inside brilliantly before finding Patrick McCeleney, who struck an effort just wide.

Both sides swung at each other, but it was Pat's that deservedly took the lead.

On loan from Coventry City, 20-year-old McGrath couldn't have had an easy week after being told that his contract won't be renewed beyond this month.

However, he was the toast of Inchicore tonight when he stepped up from centre-back to glide forward and launch a precise strike into the bottom right corner. Coventry's loss could be the Saints' gain.

And the home side should have been even further ahead at half-time. Released one-on-one by Conor Carty, Doyle stuttered his effort into the legs of goalkeeper Maher.

The home side maintained their pressure into the second-half, Forrester forcing a super save just after the break.

Forced to intervene, Ruaidhri Higgins brought new life to his midfield with substitutes Adam O'Reilly and Jordan McEneff.

However, their influence was short-lived as Doyle doubled the lead within 10 minutes.

Sent through by a long ball forward, the 35-year-old repented for his earlier sins to calmly pick his spot in the bottom corner.

The Candystripes got one back within minutes. Kavanagh knocked the final touch in after a sequence of head tennis in the Pat's box.

There were tangible nerves around Richmond Park. However, ecstasy soon returned as Forrester rose highest from a Thijs Timmermans corner to nab his ninth goal of the season.

And the cherry on top came 10 minutes from time. Substitute Doyle won the ball in midfield, sprinted through the centre and comfortably snuck the ball past Maher.

© rte.ie

Date	Competition	Home Team		Away Team
October, 27th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	0	Shamrock Rovers	2	REPORT
October, 23rd 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Sligo Rovers	0	REPORT
September, 25th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Drogheda United	2	REPORT
September, 22nd 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	3	Dundalk	1	REPORT
September, 9th 2023	Friendly	St Patrick's Athletic XI	0	LOI XI	0	REPORT
August, 11th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	0	Bohemians	0	REPORT
July, 20th 2023	EuropaConferenceLeague	St Patrick's Athletic	2	F91 Diddeleng	3	REPORT
July, 7th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Cork City	1	REPORT
June, 30th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	7	UCD	0	REPORT
June, 23rd 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Shelbourne	0	REPORT

Date	Competition	Home Team		Away Team
November, 12th 2023	FaiCup	Bohemians	1	St Patrick's Athletic	3	REPORT
November, 3rd 2023	League	Derry City	3	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT
October, 20th 2023	League	Bohemians	0	St Patrick's Athletic	2	REPORT
October, 8th 2023	FaiCup	Cork City	0	St Patrick's Athletic	2	REPORT
September, 29th 2023	League	Cork City	0	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
September, 15th 2023	FaiCup	Finn Harps	1	St Patrick's Athletic	2	REPORT
September, 9th 2023	Friendly	St Patrick's Athletic XI	0	LOI XI	0	REPORT
September, 1st 2023	League	Shelbourne	2	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
August, 25th 2023	League	UCD	0	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
August, 20th 2023	FaiCup	Derry City	0	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT

Date	Competition	Home Team		Away Team
November, 3rd 2023	League	Derry City	3	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT
August, 20th 2023	FaiCup	Derry City	0	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT
June, 5th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	4	Derry City	1	REPORT
April, 28th 2023	League	Derry City	2	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT
February, 17th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Derry City	1	REPORT
September, 30th 2022	League	St Patrick's Athletic	0	Derry City	1	REPORT
May, 9th 2022	League	Derry City	0	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT
April, 29th 2022	League	St Patrick's Athletic	0	Derry City	4	REPORT
March, 18th 2022	League	Derry City	2	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
October, 15th 2021	League	Derry City	1	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT

Date	Competition	Home Team		Away Team
November, 3rd 2023	League	Derry City	3	St Patrick's Athletic	0	REPORT
October, 27th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	0	Shamrock Rovers	2	REPORT
October, 23rd 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Sligo Rovers	0	REPORT
October, 20th 2023	League	Bohemians	0	St Patrick's Athletic	2	REPORT
September, 29th 2023	League	Cork City	0	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
September, 25th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	1	Drogheda United	2	REPORT
September, 22nd 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	3	Dundalk	1	REPORT
September, 1st 2023	League	Shelbourne	2	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
August, 25th 2023	League	UCD	0	St Patrick's Athletic	1	REPORT
August, 11th 2023	League	St Patrick's Athletic	0	Bohemians	0	REPORT

Match Info

Date: 05/06/2023
Time: 6:45pm
Competition: League
Venue: Richmond Park

Officials

Referee: Neil Doyle

St Patrick's Athletic FC

Founded in 1929 the 'Saints' are the current FAI Cup holders and play in the Premier Division of the SSE Airtricity League at Richmond Park, in Inchicore Dublin 8, Ireland.

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125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 E0Y7, Ireland

(+353) 1 454 6332
(+353) 1 454 6211

info@stpatsfc.com
www.stpatsfc.com

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St Patrick's Athletic vs Derry City

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