Shelbourne 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 3
The sideline is an awfully lonely existence with only the dugout's sharp edges and a strict linesman for company. Just ask Damien Duff. The most uncontrollable 90 minutes the Shelbourne manager has ever known in his 42 years, largely spent mesmerising fullbacks, was visited upon him in front of a 4,150 Tolka Park crowd.
Duff has already flagged an inevitability; these “giants” of Irish football will lose plenty of matches after an educational, if costly off-season when the quality needed to be ultra-competitive in the top flight escaped his recruitment drive.
“I think everybody knows by now the way we want to play,” said Duff before a squalid night in Drumcondra began.
St Patrick’s Athletic, fresh from out-lasting Bohemians in November’s thrilling FAI Cup final, predicted all the patterns to bank a clean three points on their first sortie across town.
Goals by Darragh Burns, Mark Doyle and James McClelland scribbled the first chapter of a legendary Irish winger trying to find his way at the ruthless end of management.
St Pat's, even with Dundalk raiding their squad and stealing manager Stephen O'Donnell over a messy winter, remain title contenders. Still early days, but Shels have the look of mid-table fodder at best.
Early chances
What Duff could do with a midfielder of Chris Forrester’s calibre. But this brand new squad almost engineered a dream start for the rookie gaffer. On three separate occasions in the opening six minutes they miscued as Jack Moylan, a promising attacking midfielder signed from Bohs, was unable to trouble Joseph Anang’s in the St Pat’s goal.
Inside 60 seconds, there was a disallowed goal for Shels striker Daniel Carr after Moylan was called offside when Aaron O’Driscoll flicked on Conor Kane’s dangerous free kick. Moments later Moylan put a free header into the turf when ghosting into the same position at the back post. The 20 year old’s best chance came off a Jamie Lennon mistake, but he drilled the shot wide.
St Pat’s were understandably feeling their way into the new campaign with only five starters - Burns, James Abankwah, Lennon, Forrester and Billy King - featuring in the cup final. But Burns only needed one chance to open his account, created by a sloppy cross field ball by Daniel Hawkins, steadying himself to fire a left footer past Lewis Webb.
The 19th minute goal settled St Pat’s while Shels had to cope with losing Shane Griffin to injury.
Not that Duff will be disappointed with the commitment of his team. Moylan, yet again, should have done better when an error by Udinese-bound Abankwah, gifting him another chance to score before half-time.
O’Driscoll kept the Tolka faithful in good spirits with a late, late intervention to deny Mark Doyle from rifling home Eoin Doyle’s cushioned header after a superb cross by Billy King. St Pat’s were understandably livid that referee Rob Hennessy failed to award a corner.
The second half began the same way as the first with Kane finding the unmarked Carr in the box, only for the Trinidad and Tobago striker to push a shot into Anang’s arms. Again, Duff will struggle to criticise the effort as Carr and Hawkins combined for another chance that also ended up in Anang’s mitts.
Shels only have themselves to blame for the second goal with Mark Doyle running onto Mark Coyle’s sloppy back pass to finish low past Webb.
Moylan skied two more opportunities before the finish. He will have better days. So will Shels. But the pressure is very real now.
“Glad it is over and we can get on with the rest of the season,” said Duff. “St Pats won the game in transition with counter attacking football.”
Shelbourne: Webb; Griffin, Byrne, O'Driscoll; Wilson, Coyle, Dervin, Kane; Hawkins, Moylan; Carr.
Subs: Ledwidge for Griffin (24 minutes), McEneff for Carr, Anaebonam for Hawkins (both 61), McManus for Dervin, Farrell for Moylan (both 86).
St Patrick's Athletic: Anang; Scott, Redmond, Abankwah, Breslin; Lennon, Forrester, King; M Doyle, Burns, E Doyle.
Subs: McClelland for King (65), Grivosti for Scott (74), O’Reilly for Burns (86).
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
