Two goals in a minute from Ryan Guy helped St Patrick's Athletic to a flattering 3-0 victory over a plucky UCD side who, for long periods were more than the equal of their south Dublin neighbours who remain top of the Airtricity League.
Vinnie Faherty had given Pat's a 1-0 lead on the stroke of half time, and it stayed that way until Guy finished off two counter attacks in quick succession as the clock ticked closer to the 90.
For long periods, this contest lacked quality and was crying out for a player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. But Saints manager Pete Mahon was eager to highlight the positives as his team sit top of the league:
"Its hard winning one game in this league, never mind three," before admitting "at 1-0 they had a lot of possession and we couldn't close them down quick enough."
But St. Pats never gave Mahon's former charges a clear chance on goal, and after three wins from three, the Inchicore side also have three clean sheets to their name; "Thats what pleases me most; when you win a game and don't concede a goal" beamed Mahon.
The breakthrough came on the stroke of half time with Faherty's text book chip from outside the area after a scrappy UCD throw. Evan McMillan mis-hit a clearance to Faherty's feet, and the striker was only too happy to exploit the space behind the on-rushing 'Keeper Billy Brennan, who could only look on as the ball drifted towards the empty net.
The drizzle that sprinkled Inchicore seemed to subdue the home support. And after the same 11 played just three days previously in the win over Shamrock Rovers, the team mirrored that decreased intensity. Unable to bypass Danny Fallon who shielded his back four to good effect.
Before the opener it was Williams who looked most likely to spark the game alight, his opportunistic turn and volley stung the hands of Brennan. While at the other end David McMillan almost capitalised on some ill-advised back heels from Damien Lynch and Connor Kenna, his pinpoint chip had Gary Rogers stretching every sinew to tip over the bar.
The Students trailed at half time but, on the turnaround, were the most eager to play football, Martin Russell sending his troops out almost five minutes before their hosts. The Saints could not find a way out of their own half, slicing and mis-hitting every clearance and almost every pass, all fluency was lost as the temperature dropped in Dublin 8. But Ciaran Nangle's mis-hit cross was the closest the visitors came to an equaliser, Rogers must have breathed a massive sign of relief as it bounced off his crossbar and away to safety.
The game changed when Sinnott suffered a head injury, just on as a substitute, he went off for treatment and returned with his side counter-attacking. Gareth Coughlan spotted him lurking deep, in space and sprayed a fine ball to him. The midfielder rolled his pass to Guy, unmarked in the box and able to spin and power a shot past Brennan with 5 minutes remaining.
Just one minute later the home side, again breaking away down the left wing, this time through Faherty, who picked out the American, steaming past some dejected blue shirted defenders. The diminutive winger again had time to take a touch and pick a spot in the top corner to put a gloss on the result, and results are all that will matter to Pete Mahon at this point in time.
St Patricks: Rogers, Lynch, Bermingham, Kenna, Guthrie, McAllister (for Coughlan '60), S Byrne (for Sinnott '65), Mulcahy, Guy, Williams (for P Byrne '72) , Faherty
UCD: Brennan, Shortall, Nangle, Boyle, McMillan, Fallon, Roche (for Ward '55), McMahon, Fitzgerald (for Rusk '60), McMillan (for Mulhall '55), Kilduff
Referee: A Kelly
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