Saints keep pace with Hoops following Waterford victory

Daire Walsh

St Patrick’s Athletic moved level on points with Shamrock Rovers at the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table courtesy of a 2-1 win over Waterford at Richmond Park last night.

Thanks to goals from Matty Smith and Nahum Melvin-Lambert, the Saints found themselves in the driving seat on the hour mark. The visitors did fire back with a Junior Quitirna penalty, but the Inchicore men had done enough to claim the spoils.

There will be some concern for Saints head coach Stephen O’Donnell, however, as goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros and defender Lee Desmond had an unfortunate clash of heads in the dying moments of the game.

Desmond was eventually stretchered off with Sam Curtis called upon for his first-team debut.

O’Donnell will hope his injury isn’t too serious, particularly with Pat’s remaining in the hunt for league supremacy.

Although they have two more games played than the champions, the Saints are only marginally adrift of Rovers on score difference at present.

Seeking to build on their impressive 4-1 triumph over Dundalk last Sunday, the hosts began the contest in a positive fashion.

Scottish attacker Smith claimed a brace in that success at Oriel Park and was on hand to break the deadlock in the 23rd-minute on this occasion.

A former Waterford player, he raced onto the ball on the left-hand side and drilled to the net in clinical style.

Unfortunately, this was virtually his final act of the tie as he was subsequently withdrawn through injury.

The Saints continued to put the pressure on their Munster opponents and while the lead was 1-0 at the interval, Chris Forrester and Paddy Barrett tested the resolve of opposition netminder Brian Murphy either side of the break.

Their second goal finally arrived on 58 minutes, when captain Ian Bermingham lofted the ball into the box for Melvin-Lambert to grab his second goal in as many games.

Quitirna’s successful penalty just shy of the third-quarter mark did make matters interesting but even though St Pat’s were severely disrupted in the closing moments, they ultimately came away with the three points on offer.