Bohemians (1) - St Patrick's Athletic (3)

Bohemians 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

St Patrick's Athletic were crowned Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup champions for the second time in three years following a 3-1 victory over Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium.

The Super Saints had to come from behind in front of a record-breaking cup final crowd of 43,881 in Dublin 4 as they recovered from an early Jonathan Afolabi penalty to secure a third victory over Bohs this season.

They were level before the break thanks a Mark Doyle header, and they pushed on in the second half, showing a much more clinical edge than their northside rivals as an own goal and a Tommy Lonergan screamer settled the tie.

The Saints had already qualified for Europe through their third-placed league finish so their win means Shelbourne take the final Europa Conference League place.

Jon Daly's men had the better record in clashes between the sides this season coming into the game, with two wins and a draw from their four meetings.

And Daly obviously felt that the side that had started in their most recent game - at Dalymount Park last month - could get the job done as he made just one change from that starting eleven.

His opposite number Declan Devine made four. Two were enforced, with Keith Buckley injured and Kacper Radowski suspended. Ali Coote and Paddy Kirk were dropped to the bench, with Jordan Flores, Danny Grant, James McManus and Cian Byrne all coming into the side.

A Cup final is one of the great occasions in Irish sport, but there was even more riding on it for Devine and Bohs with European qualification depending on a victory.

The game started, eventually, at a frantic pace.

A mix-up in the Pat's rearguard had Afolabi in down the right, but his low cross was cut out by Breslin. At the other end Breslin looked to pick out Carty at the back post, only for Nowak to get a crucial touch on the ball.

It was reflective of the end-to-end nature of the game at that stage, Breslin's next act would be to fell Afolabi in the box, with Paul McLaughlin having no hesitation in points to the spot.

Afolabi went low and right to give Bohs the dream start.

The game was still open, but Bohs were bossing it at that stage. Afolabi blasted over from just inside the box after a short corner move, and moments later Clarke would do the same thing after a good play by Grant to drag the cover away.

But Pat's would be level a couple of minutes later.

Mulraney whipped in a dangerous free from the left, and Doyle got between Kukulowicz and Nowak, to head home from five yards.

23 minutes in and this record-breaking cup final was living up to its billing.

Bohs almost retook the lead immediately, but Curtis got a crucial touch in to prevent Grant poking home Connolly's low cross at the back post.

Finally the game began to settle in the last 10 minutes of the half, with Forrester's strike from 30 yards the closest either side would get. He got some wicked movement on the ball, and it only cleared Talbot's crossbar by centimetres.

Five minutes had to be added on at the end of a half with no treatment for players, and no substitutions, a reflection of all the delays caused by flares being fired after each goal.

Pat's were ahead within three minutes of the restart.

Again it was a cross from the right that Bohs failed to deal with. This time it was Nowak who got on the end of it, directing the ball past his own keeper. Although with Redmond right behind him, there was little the defender could have done differently once the ball reached him.

It might have been three on 54 minutes as confusion between Byrne and Nowak almost saw Doyle get in at the back post. Again it was Mulraney who curled the ball in from the right, a ball which Bohs struggled with all afternoon.

But Declan Devine's side pushed hard for an equaliser. Lyness was forced down low to his right to push away an effort by Flores before Afolabi had two chances either side of the hour mark.

Flores set him up for the first, running at the Pat's cover before laying the ball off to him. But the 23-year-old was slow to get the ball out of his feet, and the eventual effort was blocked by Redmond.

From the corner, Grant's initial header was blocked by Forrester, only for the ball to fall to Kukulowicz, but his attempted flick went over the bar from close range. From another corner shortly afterwards, Afolabi got to the ball but could only flash his header wide of the left post.

It was all Bohs at that stage and they stretched the Pat's cover once more, with Grant pulling a low ball back for Afolabi, but again the striker couldn't keep the effort down, to groans from the South Stand.

Pat's were dealt a blow with 20 minutes to go as the talismanic Forrester was forced off with a leg injury.

Flores then went closer than anyone else to an equaliser on 74 minutes, but his free kick from the edge of the box agonisingly clipped the outside of the left post.

Gradually Bohs began to tire and the game was over with four minutes to go. Bohs got caught out as they tried to play out from the back, with Tommy Lonergan stealing the ball from Flores.

The former UCD man still had plenty to do, but he curled one into the top left corner to send those in the North Stand into raptures.

Â© rte.ie

Match Report

Bohemians 1 - St Patrick's Athletic 3

Match Info

Home Team

Away Team

Officials

Goalscorers

Yellow Cards

Red Cards

St Patrick's Athletic FC

Latest Posts

Result: Saints 3 - Vaduz 1

Result: Derry 3 - Saints 0

FAI Cup Preview: Derry City v Saints (21/07/2024)

Useful Links

Contact Us