St Patrick's Athletic 3-3 Glentoran

St Patrick's Athletic and Glentoran shared the spoils in a six goal Setanta Sports Cup thriller at Richmond Park, writes Mark Cummins.

Michael Halliday put Glens ahead on five minutes only for Gary O'Neill to equalise on 22.

Colin Nixon then slotted home a penalty and Daryl Fordyce also scored before O'Neill netted for Pat’s to set up a tense finish. Keith Fahey pounced in injury time sent the home side into raptures.

Glens, backed by their big travelling support, started the game in excellent fashion and enjoyed several decent passages of play.

One of these led to them taking a dramatic lead with just five minutes on the clock.

A mix up in the Pat's defence left Halliday and the goalkeeper Barry Ryan challenging for a high ball which Halliday managed to get to first.

He knocked the ball down into his own path and with Ryan well beaten chose his place and calmly slotted the ball into the net.

The Belfast men pilled on the pressure after that and both Nixon and Halliday had further shots that Ryan saved well.

Pat's first chance came on 17 minutes when Keith Fahey dashed into to the box but Glens' goalkeeper Elliot Morris got down well to block him.

Against the run of play, Pat's drew level on 22 minutes. Following a piece of pinball football, Gary O'Neill fired low and hard past Morris into the bottom right corner of the net.

The second half started in a deluge of wind and rain which quickly left the surface quite slippy and reduced somewhat the flowing football that had been on offer in the first half.

Again the best of the chances went Glens' way with Pat's finding it very hard to get past an excellent Glens defence at the other end, well-marshalled by their captain Paul Leeman.

Kyle Neill very nearly put Glens ahead again on 69 minutes with a looping shot from about 35 yards out that looked at first to have caught out Ryan but the Clare man saw the danger and made a good save.

Glens deservedly retook the lead on 72 minutes when Nixon smashed a penalty past Ryan, awarded after Gary Dempsey took Hamilton down in the box.

Keith Fahey went close for Pat's on 81 minutes but saw his volley flash wide of the post.

Daryl Fordyce then put Glens two to the good with a super shot past Ryan on 85 minutes.

O'Neill bagged a second for the home side on 89 minutes to set up an exciting finish which saw Fahey flash a ball through the crowded goalmouth to claim a point for Pat's in time added on.

Next up for Glens in this competition is a home tie with Linfield on 7 April whilst Pat's travel to Derry the same night.

The clubs meet again in the final series of group games at The Oval on 23 September.

St Patrick's Ath: Barry Ryan, Brennan, Partridge, Harris, O'Cearuill, Fahey, Bobby Ryan (Kirby 88), Dempsey (Byrne 80), Guy, Quigley (Keane 68), O’Neill.

Glentoran: Morris, Nixon, Neill, Hill, Leeman, McCabe, Ward, Halliday, Hamilton, Boyce (Govern 88), Fordyce (Fitzgerald 88).