St Patrick's Athletic (1)

St Patrick's Athletic 1 - Dundalk 1

St Patrick's Athletic moved into second place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, ahead of Bohemians on goal difference, after a 1-1 draw with Dundalk in Inchicore.

The side that will be happiest after this result will be the leaders Shamrock Rovers who are not in action this weekend due to European commitments, and they remain seven points clear at the top having played the same number of games now as St Pat's and Bohemians.

It was a titanic clash with no quarter given with a Daryl Horgan first-half penalty cancelled out by a header in the 57th minute by Dundalk old boy Sean Hoare.

The draw snapped a three-game league losing streak for Ciaran Kilduff's side, but it will be the home team that will be more disappointed with a share of the spoils in their attempt to cut the gap to the leaders even further, it was a missed opportunity for the Saints.

The Dublin side had welcomed back Kian Leavy after injury while Dundalk started Republic of Ireland U21 international Cian Dillon, who recently signed from QPR on a multi-season deal at Oriel Park.

It was their third meeting of the season with Pats winning 4-0 at home in February, but Dundalk won 2-0 at Oriel Park on Easter Monday.

The home side, who had won 10 of 13 league games at Richmond Park, should have hit the front in the eighth minute, as, after a lively start by both sides, Leavy broke forward and after riding a few challenges picked out Aidan Keena on the edge of the box.

Keena's shot hit a defender and with players and supporters alike screaming for a penalty for handball, the referee waved play on, and it fell for Anto Breslin who skyed his shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Moments later Keena himself was guilty of a terrible miss after he too blasted over close in from a Breslin cross and the chances kept coming for the home side as on the quarter hour a reverse pass by Keena found Ryan Edmundson in the area.

Edmundson was denied by Dundalk keeper Enda Minogue who was quickly of his line to save at the striker's feet.

Midway through the half Dundalk came even closer to breaking the deadlock as Harry Groome found Trevor Clarke in the Pats area, only for Clarke to see his shot cannon off the post.

The Louth side had found their feet in the game now and in the 34th minute they were awarded a penalty as Breslin went in hard on Clarke and referee Kevin O'Sullivan pointed to the spot, booking Breslin for the challenge.

Horgan smashed the spot kick past Joe Anang to give Dundalk the lead, his seventh league goal of the season.

Dundalk defender Rob Cornwall was perhaps lucky to still be on the pitch at half-time as in the latter stages and already booked, he misjudged the bounce of the ball, and it struck his arm with Edmundson lurking behind him.

The home bench was incensed with the decision as Dundalk took a 1-0 lead to the break and Cornwall was unsurprisingly replaced at half-time

Moments after the restart Keena jinked his way into the area, riding challenges and keeping his feet only to see his goal-bound shot deflected narrowly wide off a defender's heel.

The early second-half pressure from the home side continued as Leavy decided to go for goal himself, ignoring the free Keena, only for Minogue to pull off a brilliant one-handed save to a ball that was dipping under his cross bar.

However, from the resultant Keena corner, Hoare headed in the equaliser.

The home side dominated most of the second half and almost hit the front 12 minutes from time as Luke Turner's header looked like it was about to cross the Dundalk line but was smothered in the nick of time by Minogue who held on despite huge pressure from a number of home players.

The Saints, though, ran out of steam in the latter stages and indeed could have lost it deep in added time as defender Mayowa Animashaun was narrowly wide with a header from a Horgan freekick with both sides having to be content with a point.

© rte.ie

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St Patrick's Athletic 1 - Dundalk 1

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