St Patrick's A 1 Dundalk 2: ST PATRICK'S lost for the third consecutive time last night and finished the game with 10 men.

Despite a decent start by the home side, the game turned emphatically in Dundalk’s favour after 27 minutes.

First a swift counterattack saw Dundalk take the lead against the run of play. Matthew Tipton put the ball out wide right to Daniel Kearns whose low cross was met at the back post by Tipton who had continued his run to score.

Fahrudin Kuduzovic then brought a good diving save from Gary Rogers within a minute before St Patrick’s out-of-position left-back Ian Bermingham got himself sent off for stupidly tripping Tom Miller as Dundalk took a quick free-kick.

Dundalk doubled their lead on 52 minutes Dean Bennett found Kuduzovic who had two shots blocked before the ball ran to Ross Gaynor who scored from just inside the area.

St Patrick’s pulled one back on 64 minutes when Dundalk captain Liam Burns was booked, and a penalty given, after he grappled with Conor Kenna in the wall as Damian Lynch put a free-kick into the visitors area.

Dundalk goalkeeper Peter Cherrie parried Lynch’s poor spot kick, but the St Patrick’s captain redeemed himself by following up to fire home the rebound.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Pender, Lynch (Faherty, 80 mins), Kenna, Bermingham; McAllister, S Byrne (O’Connor, 63 mins), Mulcahy, Cash; Guy (Stewart, 63 mins), North.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Madden, Burns, Breen, Hatswell; Kearns (McGuigan, 90 mins), Bennett, Miller, Gaynor; Kuduzovic (Maher, 74 mins), Tipton.

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).