Setanta Cup/ Cork City 1 St Patrick's Athletic 3: St Patrick's Athletic sit comfortably on top of the Group Two table after their defensive plan worked at Turner's Cross last night.

St Patrick's hit Cork on the counter-attack, absorbing pressure for long periods and then breaking effectively to make full use of their scoring chances. St Patrick's Athletic spent the entire opening half penned in but Cork were unable to capitalise.

Cork had a number of fleeting scoring chances but never succeeded in troubling goalkeeper Barry Ryan. St Patrick's pushed right back Stephen Brennan into the heart of their defence while centre-backs Darragh Maguire and Colm Foley did a marking job on Cork's centre forwards. Cork were unable to utilise their main weapon - the pace of Roy O'Donovan.

Still it was a surprise when St Patrick's went ahead in the 32nd minute from what was their only worthwhile chance in the opening half. Sean Kelly did well to outjump Joseph Ndo but his header fell kindly for Gary O'Neill and he struck a half-volley from 25 yards past goalkeeper Michael Devine.

The Cork goalkeeper was badly caught five minutes into the second half when Kelly mis-kicked an attempted clearance to leave O'Neill clear on the right wing and when he squared the ball, Alan Kirby chipped over the goalkeeper, again from 25 yards.

Cork were briefly back in contention when John O'Flynn snatched a goal in the 85th minute but a goal from the penalty spot by Gary O'Neill in the 90th minute restored St Patrick's two-goal advantage.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Kelly, Murray, Ryan (Lordan 60); Woods (O'Flynn 65), O'Brien (Softic 73), Gamble, Kearney; O'Donovan, Behan

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Ryan; Brennan, Maguire, Foley, Frost; Murphy (S Quigley 73), Ndo, Fahey, Kirby; O'Neill, M Quigley (Rooney 65).

Referee: R Winter(Dublin).