St Pat’s 2-2 Shamrock Rovers
Political powerplays behind the scenes are threatening to rock Shamrock Rovers to the core, but it was Joe Redmond who left them shell-shocked here.
The Hoops thought they had won a brilliant game at the death when Lee Grace powered home a header to snatch the lead with three minutes to play.
But St Pat’s skipper Redmond had other ideas and he buried one of his own in injury-time to rescue a point and deny Rovers the chance to move top of the table.
It sparked a pitch invasion from some of the flare-carrying home fans who spilled onto the pitch to savour the moment in a dramatic game that had it all.
Tottenham-bound Mason Melia opened the scoring for St Pat’s before the break, only for Jack Byrne to chalk it off five minutes later with his second goal in as many games.
From the outset, you couldn’t take your eyes off a pulsating, end-to-end contest played at 100mph, where both sides were in a have-a-go mood.
But while Rovers bossed the opening half, St Pat’s came storming back in the second, only to concede what appeared to be a Rovers winner before their final sting in the tail.
Graham Burke and Chris Forrester dominated a half each, with fans treated to some outstanding moments of skill.
Burke wasn’t long getting into his stride and was soon doing Graham Burke things, tormenting the Saints with purposeful runs through the centre.
An early shot was wild and wide, but he was a constant irritation for St Pat’s who were slower shifting through the gears even though they scored first.
Rovers’ played with clear focus and Danny Grant would have opened the scoring were it not for former Hoop Sean Hoare deflecting his on-target shot to safety.
And Dylan Watts - injured later on - skied an effort soon after, following a quick throw-in that set Burke scampering into the box before finding Watts.
Burke had Rovers best attack before the goals, this time holding off Jamie Lennon on a long gallop into the box, with Joseph Anang saving with his foot.
St Pat’s were struggling to generate rhythm up to that point but with Melia, Brandon Kavanagh and Forrester scheming away, they always stood a chance.
And while their best spell of the half came in a two-minute burst on the half hour, Stepjen Kenny’s men made the most of their slim pickings.
First, Jay McClelland saw a shot deflect off a Rovers defender when Forrester drilled a vicious, low ball into the box. And they made hay from the corner.
Bradley will question why Melia was allowed roam free in the box when Zack Elbouzedi sent in the corner - and even more so when the teen rocked up at the back post.
He had all the time in the world to hook a dropping ball into the Rovers net, through the legs of Rovers ‘keeper Ed McGinty.
But the lead only lasted five minutes as Byrne scored his second goal in as many games, eight minutes before half-time.
On the break, Gaffney surged forward and laid a ball off to Burke and he showed great strength again to hold off Axel Sjoberg.
Anang thwarted Burke but Byrne was in the right place at the right time and acrobatically threw himself at the ball in the box, slashing home from an angle.
But there was no momentum off the back of that equaliser as Rovers were firmly on the back foot throughout the second-half, with Saints upping the ante.
It wasn’t just Burke’s influence that was waning for Rovers, after a brilliant first-half. Rovers’ had lost their mojo, with Michael Noonan thrown into the mix to try and find it.
Instead, it turned into the Forrester show. The midfield maestro may have been subdued early on, but he left his mark on the remainder.
St Pat’s just needed to work McGinty more and Redmond did in the 65th minute, flashing a near post header just wide from a short corner routine.
But the longer the Saints huffed and puffed, the more Rovers believed there was a lifeline for them.
And that’s how it played out with three minutes remaining as Grace powered home a header off Byrne’s cross, having kept the ball in play off a corner.
Rovers thought they had won it. But St Pat’s had other ideas and Redmond, their captain, headed home a precious equaliser in injury-time, sparking a pitch invasion.
ST PAT’S: Anang 7; Sjoberg 6 (Carty 88. 5), Redmond 8, Hoare 7, Breslin 6 (McLaughlin 88, 5); Lennon 6, Forrester 8; Elbouzedi 6 (Baggley 80, 6), Kavanagh 6 (Leavy 71, 6), McClelland 6 (Mulraney 71, 6); Melia 7.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty 6; Cleary 7, Lopes 7, Grace 7; Grant 6, Watts 6 (Nugent 57, 6), Healy 7, Honohan 7; Burke 7 (Greene 78, 6), Byrne 7; Gaffney 6 (Gaffney 63, 6)
Referee: N Doyle
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