Éanna
18/01/2003, 11:52 AM
eleven-a-side.com (http://www.eleven-a-side.com/premier/story.asp?newsid=3594) St Patrick’s Ath 1-0 Cork City
A dramatic last-minute winner from St Patrick’s Athletic centre half Colm Foley against Cork City at Richmond Park on Friday night put Pat Dolan’s side in the glow of Premier Division safety.
Dolan’s band of under-achievers have blazed a trail in the wrong direction during the latter half of a bitterly disappointing season, but this victory ensures their Premier Division status for another year.
Pats are now six points ahead of Drogheda United, who fill the relegation play-off place, and the Drogs’ vastly inferior goal difference means that Pats’ fans can at last rest easy, and contemplate a completely different season starting in April.
The defeat is a huge blow to Cork City’s Intertoto Cup hopes, although it must be said that a side who have taken just one win from their 15 away games in all competitions this season hardly deserves an end-of-season award in the shape of European competition. Indeed, they have failed to score on their last FIVE excursions away from Turners Cross.
City are now a point behind rivals Shamrock Rovers going into the last game of the season, and must win to have any chance of upstaging the Hoops.
Former Irish youth international Ryan Casey made his long-awaited debut for pats after joining the club in October, and he helped set up an early chance for Liam Kelly. Kevin Doyle, who joins Brian Kerr’s Irish under-20s in the UAE today, controlled Casey’s cross well but his pass to Kelly just missed its target.
Then, before ten minutes had elapsed, Cork City could twice have taken the lead, with first John O’Flynn missing an excellent chance and then Greg O’Halloran was unable to finish off a loose ball in the Pats box.
Both sides were searching the win, and Cork goalkeeper Michael Devine saved well from a Michael Holt shot before, at the other end, Billy Woods’ cross went just over Seamus Kelly’s crossbar.
The game wore on, and looked likely to end scoreless when centre half Jamie Harris headed a good chance wide four minutes from the end. But just two minutes later, Foley, his central defensive colleague, rose highest to power a header home from Casey’s deep floated free.
A dramatic last-minute winner from St Patrick’s Athletic centre half Colm Foley against Cork City at Richmond Park on Friday night put Pat Dolan’s side in the glow of Premier Division safety.
Dolan’s band of under-achievers have blazed a trail in the wrong direction during the latter half of a bitterly disappointing season, but this victory ensures their Premier Division status for another year.
Pats are now six points ahead of Drogheda United, who fill the relegation play-off place, and the Drogs’ vastly inferior goal difference means that Pats’ fans can at last rest easy, and contemplate a completely different season starting in April.
The defeat is a huge blow to Cork City’s Intertoto Cup hopes, although it must be said that a side who have taken just one win from their 15 away games in all competitions this season hardly deserves an end-of-season award in the shape of European competition. Indeed, they have failed to score on their last FIVE excursions away from Turners Cross.
City are now a point behind rivals Shamrock Rovers going into the last game of the season, and must win to have any chance of upstaging the Hoops.
Former Irish youth international Ryan Casey made his long-awaited debut for pats after joining the club in October, and he helped set up an early chance for Liam Kelly. Kevin Doyle, who joins Brian Kerr’s Irish under-20s in the UAE today, controlled Casey’s cross well but his pass to Kelly just missed its target.
Then, before ten minutes had elapsed, Cork City could twice have taken the lead, with first John O’Flynn missing an excellent chance and then Greg O’Halloran was unable to finish off a loose ball in the Pats box.
Both sides were searching the win, and Cork goalkeeper Michael Devine saved well from a Michael Holt shot before, at the other end, Billy Woods’ cross went just over Seamus Kelly’s crossbar.
The game wore on, and looked likely to end scoreless when centre half Jamie Harris headed a good chance wide four minutes from the end. But just two minutes later, Foley, his central defensive colleague, rose highest to power a header home from Casey’s deep floated free.