St Patrick's Athletic 4-2 Longford Town

Goals from Michael Keane, Anthony Murphy, Ryan Guy and Alan Kirby ensured St Patrick’s Athletic moved to within one point of Drogheda United at the top of the eircom League of Ireland table writes Mark Cummins.

Keane struck first with a low drive past Shay Kelly on 12 minutes. Murphy headed past Kelly from close range on 51 minutes and Guy struck on 75 minutes before Kirby slotted in the last on 90.

Longford’s goals came on 70 minutes, when Dave Mooney netted from a Rutherford corner, and on 83 from a drive from Pat Sullivan.

Town nearly took a dramatic lead after just two minutes when Rutherford connected with a sweeping drive from Pat Sullivan but the ex-Saint sent his header wide.

At the other end Keane went close for Pat’s on seven minutes having collected a ball from Anto Murphy far on the right wing but Keane blasted wide.

He made no mistake five minutes later when he put Pat’s ahead with his first goal for the club.

Keane pounced on a loose ball that had been chested down by Stephen Paisley and lashed a low drive past another ex-Pat’s player, Shay Kelly, in the Longford goal.

On 37, Murphy saw a shot clip off Ian Ryan and over the bar with Kelly stranded.

Pat’s enjoyed most of the possession for the rest of the half and had the first chance of the second period on 48 minutes when Ryan Guy put a shot inches wide.

Pat’s always looked likely to score again and on 51 they doubled the lead. Murphy connected with a corner from the right and headed past Kelly from very close range.

Longford got one back on 70 minutes when Mooney scored from a Rutherford corner after Pat’s keeper Barry Ryan fumbled his save.

Guy then gave Pat’s the two-goal cushion on 75 with a neat close-range strike only for Pat Sullivan to pull another back for Town with a fine drive on 83. Kirby slotted in the last in injury time.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Ryan, Murphy, Rogers, Gibson (Brennan 75), Maguire, Paisley, Fahey, Keane (Murphy 87), Barker (Guy h/t), M Quigley, Kirby.

Longford Town: Kelly, Sullivan, Prunty, Brennan, Ryan, Duffy (67), Deegan, Doyle (Martin 60), Mooney, Freeman, Rutherford (Wexler 90)

Ref: A Buttimer (Cork)