St Patrick's Athletic’s feint title hopes remain on life support, but manager Jon Daly was pleased his side stayed patient as European football was guaranteed with a 1-0 win over Sligo Rovers.
The Inchicore club remain three points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers – who they face on Friday – but even if results were to go their way, the goal difference required to leapfrog the champions makes it most improbable, with the holders 14 goals better off.
Kian Leavy’s first-half strike was the only goal of the game, as struggling Sligo frustrated the hosts, who were unable to carve out as many clear-cut chances as they would have liked.
The victory means that fourth-place Bohemians, who they will face in the FAI Cup final, cannot catch the Saints and thus European football is guaranteed at Richmond Park next season.
Daly felt that Sligo, who could still be caught by Cork City in the relegation play-off spot, came for the draw and stuck to the plan.
"They sat in and made it difficult," Daly told RTÉ Sport. "I felt we could have penetrated more with off-the-ball runs. Sligo were trying to flood the central areas, win it back and use Fabrice Hartmann’s pace on the counter. We got impatient at times."
Match-winner Leavy went close from distance in the opening minutes, and broke the deadlock 10 minutes before the interval when he cut inside from the left and, via a slight deflection, found the top corner with an unstoppable strike, his first for the Saints.
"Kian has come in and done really, really well. He’s been doing stuff like that in training constantly and I’m always on to him to gets shots away, so I’m delighted for him."
While the title remains a mathematical possibility, Daly says his side will try and do their bit, starting with three points against the champions on Friday night.
"We keep the feint hope alive, take it to one more game," he said. "We obviously need to beat them Friday if we are to take it to the last game. The goal difference needs a big, big swing which is unlikely.
"We have to hope Cork beat them and Sligo do a similar job, and Rovers don’t score goals.
"The stars need to align for us."
Bit O' Red boss John Russell felt his side did enough to merit a point: "I think on another night we get a draw.
"I was happy with the performance. We set up to try to frustrate St Pat's and him them on the counter. I felt in first half the lads applied themselves very well. We had a couple of chances, the goal they scored was a wonderstrike with a deflection into the top corner.
"I felt we should have had a penalty in the first half when Fabrice Hartmann was brought down. He gets a yellow card which I don't understand. I think if it's a St Pat's player it's a penalty."
Rovers face Drogheda United on Saturday knowing three more points are needed to guarantee survival with Cork City still chasing them down.
Russell concluded: "We have to win our game on Saturday. We've been on a tricky spell. We need to take the positives and confidence from this game and how we applied to ourselves and the shape into Saturday.
"We've had a tough season with a low of blows. If we get a home win that should be enough for us. It's important we see out the season and regroup for next year."
