David Mulcahy scored a 90th-minute winner on his 100th appearance for Saint Patrick’s Athletic as they came from 2-0 down to defeat Dundalk 3-2 in a thrilling game at Richmond Park on Friday night. The Lilywhites had led through a double from Mark Quigley, who struck in either half, but that advantage was wiped out either side of the hour-mark as David McMillan and Evan McMillan combined for quick-fire goals. St. Pat’s pressed forward in search of a winner but Dundalk looked like they were clinging onto a point, only for Mulcahy to pop up with a late winner as he scrambled the ball home from close range.
Quigley strike
Dundalk made just one change to the team that knocked Glentoran out of the Setanta Sports Cup four days earlier as Shane Guthrie, unavailable due to the terms of his loan agreement from St. Pat’s, was replaced by Michael Hector, who returned following a three-match ban. And the Lilywhites could have been ahead on three minutes when Daniel Kearns played in Ross Gaynor on the left of the box but Saints ‘keeper Gary Rogers was out smartly to block the shot. The home side replied with a chance of their own moments later when Shane McFaul’s goal-bound shot was well blocked. Dundalk took the lead on 17 minutes when they broke quickly following a long throw-in from Anto Murphy at the other end. Kearns showed pace to get away down the right and he swung in a delightful ball to Keith Ward who pulled the ball back to Quigley, who, from just inside the box, fired to the bottom corner.
Half-time lead
On 35 minutes, the home side should have been level when Murphy got a cross in from the right but somehow David McMillan failed to connect in the six-yard box, a deflection from Simon Madden helping to take the ball away from the former UCD man. Two minutes later, Dundalk could have doubled their advantage when Kearns’ corner was met by Jason Byrne who headed towards goal but Rogers produced a magnificent save to tip the effort away. Both sides pressed for a goal between then and the half-time whistle, but another clear-cut chance was not created, with Dundalk going in ahead at the break for the first time in their ninth competitive game of 2011. At the interval, Pete Mahon introduced ex-Lilywhite Paul Crowley, who scored ten goals in all competitions during Dundalk’s First Division-winning season of 2008, in place of Shane McFaul, who had been treated for a head wound during the first half.
Saints fightback
Within three minutes of the resumption, Dundalk made it 2-0. Kearns fed Madden, who made a storming run down the right, and his cross was met by a superb bicycle kick from Quigley from ten-yards, the former Saint finding Rogers’ top left-hand corner. However, on 59 minutes, Mahon’s men were back in it. Captain Stephen Bradley, from the ‘D’, picked out David McMillan in space inside the box and, from ten-yards, he drilled the ball to the far bottom corner past Peter Cherrie. And the Saints were level just past the hour-mark when a Bradley corner was headed goalwards by Mulcahy, and Evan McMillan rose highest in the six-yard box to head beyond Dundalk’s No1. On 74 minutes, as St. Pat’s pressed for a lead goal, Bradley’s corner was met by the head of Derek Doyle and his powerful effort went narrowly wide of the top corner. Doyle threatened again shortly after, his shot from the left inches away from the far corner of the net. David McMillan had a late chance but he fluffed his lines after breaking the offside trap, but there was no denying Mulcahy who found the net in a goal-mouth scramble following a corner.
SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FC (4-4-2): Gary Rogers; Derek Pender, Evan McMillan, David Mulcahy, Ian Bermingham; Anto Murphy, Shane McFaul (Paul Crowley HT), Stephen Bradley ©, Derek Doyle; David McMillan (John Flood 93), Daniel North.
Goals: D McMillan (59), E McMillan (62), D Mulcahy (90).
Booked: S McFaul (32), S Bradley (61).
Unused Subs: Chris Bennion (GK), Brian Shortall, Neil Harney, Jordan Keegan, James O’Brien.
DUNDALK FC (4-2-3-1): Peter Cherrie; Simon Madden ©, Colin Hawkins, Michael Hector, Nathan Murphy; Greg Bolger, Keith Ward (Stephen Maher 63); Daniel Kearns, Mark Quigley, Ross Gaynor; Jason Byrne.
Goals: M Quigley (17, 48).
Booked: D Kearns (41), S Maher (72), N Murphy (76), R Gaynor (90).
Unused Subs: Paul Murphy (GK), Stephen McDonnell, Mark Griffin, Johnny Breen.
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
