Sportsmanship may be with O'Leary in the grave but St Patrick’s Athletic’s title challenge has new life as Jamie Lennon’s 95th minute strike snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Cork City at a delirious Richmond Park.
The Saints fans were quiet for most of the night but they flooded the pitch in celebration when Lennon chested Zak Elbouzedi’s chipped cross down and fired low and hard across Tein Troost and into the bottom corner.
Mason Melia’s superb header had given Stephen Kenny's side a first-half lead, but a Charlie Lyons header and Sean Maguire’s penalty flipped the game on its head in the second half.
Just as Pats looked to be sleepwalking into a third successive defeat, substitute Elbouzedi set up a grandstand finish before he turned provider for Lennon.
Madness blared out over the tannoy at full time and that is the only way to describe what was a mental climax to this game which Cork will feel they should have come away with something.
The visitors stifled the Saints from play but were broken by a set piece when Melia rose highest to head home Barry Baggley’s corner in the 14th minute.
Kian Leavy’s inch-perfect pass set Jake Mulraney through on goal but Troost stood firm before Aidan Keena’s shuffle and strike from distance whistled by the post.
Keena almost bagged a second for the hosts but his shot from a narrow angle flashed across goal five minutes after the break.
Suddenly Cork were back in business through a sensational header from skipper Charlie Lyons after 57 minutes.
Evan McLaughlin’s outswinger found the head of Lyons and the ball nestled in the top corner to give the Leesiders a much-needed shot in the arm.
Lyons almost repeated the feat two minutes later but couldn’t guide a free header on target.
Melia struck the outside of the post from a narrow angle before disaster struck for the hosts.
A poor touch from Al-Amin Kazeem allowed Milan Mbeng in behind and in a desperate attempt to atone for his error he went diving in and the ball struck his hand on the ground.
Maguire stepped up to complete a well-deserved turnaround for Liam Kearney’s side with 11 minutes to play.
Substitutes Maguire and Mbeng looked to have swung the game for Cork, but Kenny’s side awoke from their slumber as the manager rolled the dice with Simon Power and Elbouzedi.
Power flashed a ball across goal in the 89th minute and Elbouzedi’s deflected tap in found the net before the latter chipped pull back found Lennon who sent Richmond into raptures.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang, Sean Hoare, Joe Redmond (Grivosti 69), Jamie Lennon, Mason Melia, Kian Leavy (Kavanagh 35), Aidan Keena (Elbouzedi 69), Barry Baggley (McClelland 77), Jake Mulraney (Power 77), Carl Sjoberg, Al-Amin Kazeem
Cork City: Tein Troost, Harry Nevin (Mbeng 69), Charlie Lyons, Evan McLaughlin (Maguire 69), Cathal O’Sullivan, Kitt Nelson, Sean Murray, Matthew Kiernan, Josh Fitzpatrick (Bolger 57), Freddie Anderson, Djenairo Daniels
