Heartbreak for Shelbourne as St Pat's score late winner with title hopes hanging in the balance
Shelbourne worked back from a two-goal deficit only to concede late in Tolka Park as their title hopes hang in the balance.
There was a clip doing the rounds recently of a manager racing onto the pitch and hacking down an opposing player who was charging towards goal.
On a night of arguably more drama than in that Italian sixth tier game, as Shelbourne’s title charge stuttered once again, you got the feeling that Reds head coach Damien Duff wasn’t far off leaving his technical area and crossing the white line.
The source of his repeated agitation appeared to be an unwillingness by his players to get the ball to right-back Sean Gannon, who found himself in space deep in St Patrick’s Athletic territory.
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When they did tee up Gannon, the 10-time Premier Division title winner showed all his quality and experience to put the ball on substitute Sean Boyd’s head.
Unfortunately for Gannon and his manager, Boyd sent his effort over the crossbar.
Moments later, St Pat’s went on the attack and doubled their lead, with Brandon Kavanagh finishing from close range to add to Joe Redmond’s first-half opener.
Curtains, it seemed, for Shels. Game over.
Far from it. What followed was a blistering final 14 minutes of action, which could be hugely pivotal in the race for the Premier Division crown.
Reds fans were in dreamland when Rayhaan Tulloch and Matty Smith, with a pair of worldies, brought the hosts back on level terms.
Tulloch found the top right-hand corner and Smith the top left within four minutes of each other.
Then a touchline bust-up, with words exchanged between Pat’s assistant coach Brian Gartland, and Shels pair Duff and Joey O’Brien, as the visitors prepared to make a change.
Al-Amin Kazeem, a summer signing from Galway United, was the man in the middle of the warring coaches.
But he clearly wasn’t rattled by the experience, as it was his 88th minute goal that gave all three points to the Saints.
And there was still time for a red card to be shown to Shels substitute and goal hero Smith, for an off-the-ball incident.
With just four games left, Smith’s contribution to the remainder of the title run-in is likely to be minimal, depending on the content of the referee’s report.
With all the drama of the closing quarter-hour, it was easy to forget that the first-half almost provided the moment of the season.
Pat’s were already a goal to the good when Aidan Keena came within millimetres from scoring from inside his own half.
For the neutral, this was sensational entertainment right from kick-off, with chances created at both ends.
Shels midfielder Mark Coyle and striker Aiden O’Brien were first to try their luck, while Paddy Barrett should have done better with his 13th minute header from Harry Woods’ corner.
To rub salt into Barrett’s wounds, less than 60 seconds after he headed one of the chances of the night over at the back post, he was shown a yellow card for a foul on Keena.
The resulting free-kick was uncharacteristically ballooned over the crossbar by Jake Mulraney.
The visitors didn’t have to wait much longer for the lead goal. It took skipper Redmond less than a minute to score in last Friday’s derby win over Shamrock Rovers, but his patience paid off at Tolka Park.
With 22 minutes on the clock, Brandon Kavanagh whipped in a delightful inswinging
free-kick and the centre-half’s delicate flick took the ball past Conor Kearns and inside the far post.
A second Dublin derby goal in three days for the 24-year-old had Stephen Kenny’s side purring and they weren’t far off doubling their lead three minutes later.
Keena came close with a fierce left-foot drive that Kearns had to parry before gathering, and the Shels keeper had to be alert again just after the half-hour to cut out a sensational 50-yard Chris Forrester pass aimed at Mulraney, who had ghosted behind the home defence.
He then saved from Brandon Kavanagh, before Keena’s moment of genius.
As the striker picked up possession inside his own half, he spotted the Reds netminder a couple of yards outside his area, so he put his laces through the ball.
Kearns, who could only watch as the audacious effort flew over his head, drew a huge sigh of relief as the ball smashed off the underside of his crossbar.
The second-half was barely five minutes old when the woodwork came to the hosts’ rescue again, this time when a Mulraney curler struck the right-hand upright.
Rayhaan Tulloch gave them hope with a brilliant 76th minute strike. He played keep-ball with John Martin down the left, before cutting inside and finding the top right-hand corner.
Smith had Shels fans in dreamland when he found the opposite corner four minutes later, while Tulloch fired straight at Joseph Anang as the hosts pushed for a winner.
But up popped Kazeem, moments after his dramatic entrance, to slot home the rebound in the 88th minute after fellow-sub Mason Melia hit the upright.
The figures are worrying for Shels, With the finish line in sight, they have taken just two points from the last 12 available, while Tulloch’s goal was their first in four games, including their FAI Cup exit to Derry City.
With four games left, Shels are four points clear of Derry City, who have a game-in-hand. As for Pat’s, Europe is very much on the agenda.
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