Fagan and Brennan send Saints top

Bohemians 0, St Patrick’s Athletic 2

25 May 2013

Christy Fagan and Killian Brennan returned to haunt their former employers at Dalymount Park as their quick-fire first-half goals moved St Pat’s to the top of the table.

Although they have a game more played than reigning champions Sligo Rovers, it’s a major confidence boost for Liam Buckley‘s squad, whose title challenge continues to develop with each passing week.

Fagan gave the Saints the lead with a low finish past the helpless Dean Delany on 25 minutes after John Russell’s fine through-ball.

This was the breakthrough that Pat’s needed in a cagey affair and it only took them two minutes to double their advantage, when Brennan powerfully dispatched a penalty to the back of the net after Ian Bermingham‘s delivery was handled by full-back Derek Pender.

With Roberto Lopes taking to the field in place of Stephen Traynor, the hosts played with much more purpose after the restart but for the most part Brendan Clarke remained idle between the sticks for Pat’s.

Fagan went close with a snap-shot from a tight angle after 55 minutes, before a mazy run by Russell 15 minutes later led to a corner on the right, which almost went in directly from the trusty left boot of Brennan, only for Bohs to be saved by the base of the far post.

Pat’s continued to press for a third goal and, though they failed to add to their tally, they will be more than happy to have reached the summit of the table in such convincing fashion.

BOHEMIANS – Delany; Pender, Mulcahy, Byrne, Nangle (O’Leary 67); Murray, McEvoy, Traynor (Lopes h-t); Lyons, Scully, Mulligan (Moore 83).

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC – Clarke; O’Brien, Kenna, Browne (Price 76), Bermingham; Russell, Bolger, Brennan; Byrne, Fagan (Flood 86), Forrester.

REF – A Kelly (Cork).