Premier Division: St Patrick’s Athletic 2 (Leavy 34, Elbouzedi 61) Drogheda United 0
Kian Leavy capped his Ireland international debut last week with the goal that got St Patrick’s Athletic’s title challenge back on track at Richmond Park.
The Ardee native became the first St Pat’s player to be capped for Ireland since 1971 when coming on in the Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side’s 1-1 draw against Canada in Montreal.
And the good times kept coming for the attacking midfielder on his club return, netting first strike of the night in another fine display for the Saints.
Stephen Kenny’s side had failed to score in their previous three games but Zack Elbouzedi added further gloss with a fine solo goal as they rediscovered their finishing touch to make it a hat-trick of victories over Drogheda this season.
RM Block
The win lifted St Pat’s back up to second in the table, behind champions Shamrock Rovers, though with a game in hand.
Winless from five games, Drogheda remain third from the bottom.
As expected, St Pat’s enjoyed plenty of possession from the off as they probed for openings.
With clever feet, Elbouzedi was first to raise the home fans expectations. Having skipped by a couple of defenders, the winger’s shot was off target.
Stout Drogheda defending then ensured that three successive corners denied Saints an effort on goal.
A fifth corner from James Brown did find the head of Jamie Lennon, but his effort bounced wide.
One of Fifa’s new rules introduced ahead of the World Cup was then used for the first time at Richmond midway through the half.
Saints’ midfielder Romal Palmer went down clutching his throat despite no contact with an opponent.
Having received treatment he recovered but had to wait for a minute on the sideline before being allowed back on under the new rules.
St Pat’s were then incensed minutes later when Luke Turner was sent sprawling by Edwin Agbaje inside the area with no penalty forthcoming.
But the home side’s pressure would finally tell on 34 minutes when they deservedly took the lead.
Lively former Drogheda wing back Brown was instrumental, working a one-two with Keena to race in behind on the right to cross.
Agbaje’s attempted clearance ran straight to Leavy, who drilled a left-footed shot to the net for his sixth goal of the season, his fourth against Drogheda.
Keena fired wide before Ryan Edmondson should have doubled St Pat’s lead in first-half stoppage time.
Palmer took a quick free kick, with Elbouzedi and Kenna playing the ball back to him. The cross picked out Edmondson, whose close range shot was straight at Talley.
Leavy worked Talley again with a drive from distance early in the second half as St Pat’s mined for more goals.
And their second duly arrived on 61 minutes, though Drogheda were angered at being left down to 10 men as Conor Keeley was made wait some two minutes to return after being treated for an injury.
The goal was all Elbouzedi’s own work. Cutting in from the left, he ghosted past several defenders before rifling a shot to the corner of the net from outside the area.
Saints’ goalkeeper Danny Rogers, making his first league appearance in almost two years, had precious little to do, before making the save of the game on 67 minutes to tip over a Leo Burney header.
Rogers was there again in stoppage time to push a Brandon Kavanagh free kick round a post.
Substitute Chris Forrester really should have added a third goal for St Pat’s moments before on 85 minutes. But, clean through on goal, his audacious chip over Talley lacked the pace to cross the line as Conor Kane got back to clear.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Redmond, Hoare, Turner; Lennon (Forrester, 84); Brown, Leavy, Palmer (Nugent, 79), Eldbouzedi (Breslin, 69); Keena (Baggley, 79), Edmondson (Mata, 84).
DROGHEDA UNITED: Talley; Agbaje, Keeley, Burney; Farrell, Brennan, O’Brien (Bucknor, 66), Kavanagh, Cruise (Kane, 37); Godden (Oluwa, 66), Doyle (Kareem, 88).
Referee: L Keating (Cork).
Attendance: 4,166.
