Bohemians 0 - St Patrick's Athletic 4Conan Byrne scored a goal of the season contender from the halfway line as he inspired St Patrick's Athletic to a second Dublin Derby win of the week over Bohemians at Dalymount Park. Christy Fagan opened the scoring for the Saints seven minutes before half time before Byrne scored immediately either side of half time to wrap up the three points with plenty to spare. Kurtis Byrne added a fourth in injury time. Byrne's first was a thing of beauty as he received a goal kick from Shane Supple just behind the halfway line and returned it over the head of the keeper, who had followed through on his kick, and into the net without bouncing. Liam Buckley's side began the game in much the same manner as they finished Saturday's 2-1 win over Shamrock Rovers, controlling the ball and the tempo of the game. While Bohs dealt with the loss of stand-in striker Jamie Doyle, who was stretchered off following a collision with Michael Barker, the visitors passed and probed. Alex O'Hanlon, the prodigious talent who recently returned to Dublin from Liverpool, was a livewire in a new role as deep-lying playmaker for the Saints. One beautiful lofted pass found Ian Bermingham wide on the left, and the full-back's cross for the arriving Fagan was brilliantly intercepted by Dan Byrne. Another gorgeous diagonal found Kurtis Byrne on the left. He caught the ball at the endline and stood it up for Fagan, who was inches from applying the finish. Barker's long pass then found Kurtis Byrne running in between the Gypsies' centre-halves. He took the ball wonderfully in his stride and had only Supple to beat, but the former Ipswich Town man was out quickly to deny a certain goal. The dam could only withstand so much battering, however. Conan Byrne played the ball into the box for Fagan who, after seeing his first effort blocked, side-footed the ball into the corner to make it 1-0. It was no less than Liam Buckley's side deserved, and they refused to sit on their laurels as they looked to double the advantage before the break. Another brilliant 40-yard pass from Gavin Peers released Conan Byrne down the right and the winger was unfortunate that his cross, blocked by Lorcan Fitzgerald, hit him on the way out. There was nothing unfortunate about what he did next, however, as he returned Supple's kick-out with change to send the large travelling support into raptures. Byrne added his second just a minute-and-a-half into the second half. JJ Lunney lifted the ball over the top and Byrne out-muscled Lorcan Fitzgerald in the box before poking home. He could have had a hat-trick shortly after as he was played in by Fagan, but from a narrow angle he could only force a corner off Supple at his near post. Fitzgerald forced a top-class save from Conor O'Malley down the other end as the Gypsies looked to rescue some pride, but it wasn't to be. Symptomatic of his night, Supple was forced off with 18 minutes remaining and left with chants of “Conan, from the halfway line†ringing in his ears from the Shed End. And Kurtis Byrne, who joined the Saints from Bohs over the winter, volleyed a fourth past his replacement Greg Murray in injury time. Bohemians: © rte.ie
