Premier Division: Dundalk 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 4 [Keena 21, 37; Sheridan 75; Edmondson 82]
Some of Stephen Kenny’s greatest title triumphs took place at Oriel Park and his St Patrick’s Athletic side took a huge step towards another as Aidan Keena’s first-half double and second-half goals from Ryan Sheridan and Ryan Edmondson saw them sink Dundalk to move top of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division table.
Fresh from their 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers 72 hours earlier, the Inchicore men doubled that scoreline against the ex-Republic of Ireland manager’s former club to give themselves real hope of a first league title since 2013.
The Saints didn’t need such an emphatic win to leapfrog the Tallaght men at the summit but a second 4-0 thumping of Ciarán Kilduff’s men this season means their goal difference is now nine better than that of the reigning league champions.
While Stephen Bradley’s side have a game in hand to restore their advantage, it is against a Bohemians team who will also feel they have a chance of finishing the campaign top of the pile for the first time since 2009.
St Pat’s were slow to grow into the game but they would find the breakthrough on 21 minutes. Cian Dillon was guilty of coughing up possession all too cheaply to Joe Redmond, with Jamie Lennon’s route one ball forward seeing Anthony Olusanya beat Egor Vassein to it before laying off to the inrushing Keena to fire first-time past Enda Minogue to the bottom left-hand corner.
The visitors would threaten again on 25 minutes when Seán Hoare headed over from a Keena free-kick but the second would arrive from another set-piece eight minutes before the break.
Barry Baggley’s corner was turned goalwards by Redmond and while Minogue did well to keep the Saints captain’s effort out, Keena was first to react to bundle in both his and his side’s second.
The Louth men made a double change at the break by introducing Shane Tracey and JR Wilson but it was St Pat’s who continued to dominate the early chances with Keena having three further attempts – one blazed over and the next two well saved by Minogue.
Dundalk did battle gamely for a way back into it but their night was summed up on 72 minutes when Bobby Burns’s attempt from the edge of the box was blocked en route to goal by his team-mate Leo Gaxha, who was in an offside position.
The outcome was then put beyond doubt three minutes later as the Lilywhites switched off from a throw-in with James Brown’s pull back finding Sheridan, who blasted a memorable first goal for the club left-footed to the top left-hand corner.
Brown should have added another himself shortly after but he did have another big hand to play in his side’s fourth in the 82nd minute as his floated free-kick saw Hoare head back across goal for the completely unmarked Edmondson to loop a header over Minogue.
DUNDALK: Minogue; Mulligan (JR Wilson, h-t), Grivosti, Vassenin, Burns; Dervin (Warren, 69), Teahan; Clarke (McDaid, 76), Groome (Tracey, h-t), Horgan; Dillon (Gaxha, 55)
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Anang; Redmond, Hoare, Turner; Elbouzedi (Brown, 58), Lennon, Baggley (Nugent, 58), Breslin; Sheridan (Forrester, 79), Keena (Edmondson, 69); Olusanya (Palmer, 79).
Referee: Marc Lynch.
Monday’s other Premier Division scores
Shelbourne X Drogheda United X
Sligo Rovers 1 Galway United 3
Waterford 2 Derry City 2