St Patrick’s Athletic’s resurgence continued on Bank Holiday Monday as a Chris Forrester brace and Eoin Doyle’s late strike secured a third successive win despite a battling display by Drogheda United.
Returning to the club where he spent four seasons in charge, Tim Clancy’s Saints took their chances in a hotly-contested clash, with the Inchicore club now one point off second place.
The win came at a cost however, as Saints fans will be anxiously awaiting news on key pair Jake Mulraney and captain Joe Redmond, who both left the pitch injured ahead of Friday’s trip to Bohemians.
After an impressive win at Derry City on Friday, Kevin Doherty’s side can be proud of another bright display with Player of the Match Dylan Grimes on target in the first half, particularly given the hosts were short a number of bodies, namely Emmanuel Adegboyega (suspension) and Darragh Markey (hamstring).
It was the Saints who struck first on 20 minutes, as Jamie Lennon’s dangerous cross found the hand of Jarlath Jones inside the home box. St Pat’s stalwart Forrester stepped up to convert the resulting spot kick.
Moments after striking the first blow, St Pat’s then suffered a pair of setbacks in the space of two minutes. First, star winger Mulraney went down injured and was replaced by Mark Doyle.
Then, a loose header by Coventry City loanee Jay McGrath created panic inside the visiting box and allowed Drogheda’s Grimes to pounce and bag his second of the campaign. Lincoln City loanee Freddie Draper contributed the assist – the first goal Drogheda had scored against St Pat’s in almost 300 minutes.
St Pat’s new signing Dan Lyness produced an excellent double save minutes later to deny Grimes a second, before the visitors regained the lead ten minutes before the break, Forrester hitting a second with a sweet strike from just inside the box.
After the restart, Draper’s strong effort was well saved by Lyness before Redmond hobbled off clutching his leg, a worrying sight for the 550 travelling fans.
The hosts, backed by their highest home crowd of 2023, couldn’t find a leveller, with Doyle on target at the death to secure three points.
Three consecutive wins was just the Easter treat Clancy and his team would have wanted, with the only caveat being they were each against the division’s two part-time clubs, and newly-promoted Cork City.
Friday’s Dublin Derby against the leaders at Dalymount Park will be a even tougher test of their credentials.
Drogheda United: McCabe; Heeney (Davis 81), Ahui, Keeley, Jones; McNally (Leddy 56), Deegan, Brennan, Rooney; Draper, Grimes.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Lyness; Curtis, McGrath, Redmond (Lewis 64), Breslin; Timmermans (Murphy 76), Lennon; Forrester, Mulraney (M Doyle 23), McClelland; Lonergan (E Doyle 64).
Ref: K O’Sullivan.