Roy O’Donovan maintained his rich vein of form to inspire Cork City to a 1-0 victory against St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park.
The win gives Cork a four-point cushion over Drogheda United in third spot.
Cork, with Joe Gamble back in their midfield following suspension, should have been in front as early as the second minute from an incisive attack down the right.
O’Donovan skipped past St Patrick’s captain Colm Foley to cross to the back post. But the poorly marked Gamble, with perhaps too much time to consider his options, planted his free header over the bar with only Barry Ryan to beat.
The game went flat for a period thereafter before Cork took the lead with a goal from nothing on 26 minutes.
The goal should haunt the St Pat's defence. Colin O’Brien gratefully accepted Dave Mulcahy’s errant pass. Colm Foley looked to have the run of O’Donovan covered, but got his wires crossed with keeper Ryan who charged off his line.
The fully alert O’Donovan touched the ball between the two, ran on and from a tight angle, and under pressure from Foley, got the required contact to score his seventh goal in six games and tenth of the season.
Pat's responded and might have contrived an equaliser within three minutes.
Trevor Molloy got in behind the cover down the right to cross to the back post, but the back-tracking Alan Bennett cleared off the toe of Mark Rutherford.
St. Patrick’s best chance of the half came right in stoppage time when skipper Foley brought a tip over save from Mick Devine form Michael Foley’s corner.
Pressing for much of the second half in search of an equaliser, Saints struggled to create real openings.
Anto Murphy glanced a headed from Molloy’s cross into the arms of Devine on 63 minutes, while Molloy wasn’t far off target with a well- struck free-kick three minutes later.
Neal Fenn might have doubled Cork’s winning margin on 76 minutes, turning well to get in a good shot that Ryan had to stretch to touch away for a corner.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: Ryan; S. Quigley, Mulcahy, C. Foley, Frost; Rooney, Murphy, C. Foley, Rutherford (M. Quigley 56 mins.); Molloy, Keegan (Armstrong, 69 mins.).
Cork City: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy (C. Lordan, 86 mins.); O’Brien, O’Callaghan, Gamble, Woods; O’Donovan (Behan,. 90 mins.), Fenn.
Referee: Dave McKeon (Dublin).
