Leaders Drogheda registered their seventh victory from their last eight games to leave their nearest rivals trailing eight points behind, following this superb victory at United Park tonight.
St Pat’s, fielding an attacking 3-4-3 formation, chased victory from the get go, however, Drogheda’s Brian Shelley forced a fine save from Barry Ryan inside two minutes.
The Inchicore men should have gone ahead in the fifth minute when Joseph Ndo’s pass dropped at the feet of Glen Fitzpatrick 10 yards out but the former Drogheda striker was foiled by an excellent save from Dan Connor.
A number of half-chances followed for both sides and Ryan was soon in action again, showing good hands to keep out another Shelley piledriver.
Back came Pat’s, and Mark Quigley’s shot was deflected wide by Simon Webb in the 16th minute.
It was at this stage that Drogheda took the game by the scruff of the neck and played some of their best football of the season.
The lively Eamon Zayed was denied when Ryan made a fine save at his near post, and from the resulting corner Graham Gartland headed inches over the crossbar.
The Drogs made their pressure pay in the 28th minute when they broke quickly from defence, and Richie Baker eventually squared the ball across goal for Shane Robinson, whose deflected shot wrong-footed Ryan and landed in the corner of the net.
It could have been worse for Pat’s at half time, as Zayed’s glancing header grazed the crossbar, and further efforts from Zayed and Sami Ristila were blocked by the excellent Ryan.
Robinson twice came close to adding to his earlier goal in the early stages of the second half, first firing over the bar from Ristila’s lay-off and then having another long-range effort blocked by Billy Gibson.
Pat’s struggled to prise open a watertight Drogheda defence, and the Boynesiders held firm before hitting their tital rivals in devastating fashion on 73 minutes.
Byrne’s pass out of defence was collected by Zayed in the centre circle and he spread the ball wide for Tony Grant whose cross was headed home by Zayed.
Pat’s substitute Keith Barker scraped Connor’s right-hand post with a 25-yard screamer and forced a fine late save from the Drogheda keeper, however, the two-goal margin of victory didn’t flatter the Boynesiders in the slightest.
DROGHEDA UNITED – Connor, Shelley, Tambouras, Gartland, Webb, Baker, Robinson, Byrne, Keddy, Zayed, Ristila. Subs: Keegan for Shelley (50min), Grant for Ristila (72min), Gray for Tambouras (86min).
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC – Ryan, Maguire, Brennan, Rogers, Kirby, Ndo, Gibson, Frost, Guy, Fitzpatrick, Quigley. Subs: Fahy for Ndo (71min), Barker for Quigley (76min), O’Connor for Guy (85min).
Referee – Damien Hancock (Dublin).
