St Patrick's Athletic put their back-to-back defeats behind them to keep on the coattails of leaders Shamrock Rovers in the Premier Division, racing out of the traps in the first half to blow Drogheda United away.
Stephen Kenny picked a team that suggested intent and purpose to inflict further misery on a Drogheda side who are badly out of form, without a win in nine matches now. In doing so, his side fired Pat’s back into contention having let champions Shamrock Rovers assume control in the title race for now.
Aidan Keena opener after just 46 seconds set the tone for the evening and when Kian Leavy’s brace had Pat’s two goals up inside 38 minutes, it looked like a demolition was on the cards.
Leavy was replaced at the break, however, and his second was the final Saints goal. Instead, Brandon Kavanagh’s second half consolation put some form of respectability on the scoreline. Just don’t expect Kevin Doherty to see it that way.
He chose to change goalkeepers for the visit of Stephen Kenny’s side, with Luke Dennison benched for the first time in his Drogheda career. English goalkeeper Flynn Talley replaced him.
While that was a selection dictated by choice, United were also without their four-goal top goalscorer Mark Doyle, who was sidelined with a muscle injury.
For just the third time all season, Kenny paired Ryan Edmondson and Aidan Keena in attack, while the returning Zach Elbouzedi started for the first time since February. His attack minded selection bore immediate fruit.
Keena struck, via a deflection, to deflate the vocal home support mere seconds after kick-off. The defending from James Bolger had been lacking but Talley was unfortunate to see the ball loop over him.
Leavy was withdrawn at the break, an injury concern, but he had done more than enough for his side by that point. His opener saw Talley beaten from a tight angle and then after the goalkeeper parried Edmondson’s shot, the ball fell to the 24-year-old who shimmied past two players and curled low into the bottom corner.
That marked his first career double, a landmark moment for an increasingly impressive and consistent performer who was back on home turf on sorts. Leavy hails from the Wee County.
Drogheda were better in the second half. A triple substitution helped, as did Pat’s inevitable dip in intensity with a three-goal cushion to sit on. Still, Kavanagh found the net from range when Joseph Anang’s decision to race from his area proved a poor one.
Drogheda United: Flynn Talley; James Bolger (Dare Kareem, 46), Conor Keeley, Andrew Quinn; Edwin Agabje, Shane Farrell (Ryan Brennan, 46), Jago Godden, Conor Kane (Kieran Cruise, 46); Brandon Kavanagh; Thomas Oluwa, Warren Davis (Cian O’Connor, 46).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; James Brown, Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Luke Turner; Jamie Lennon, Barry Baggley, Kian Leavy (Darragh Nugent, 46), Zach Elbouzedi (Chris Forrester, 61); Aidan Keena (Anto Breslin, 62), Ryan Edmondson (Glory Nzingo, 90+1).
Referee: Lucas Keating
