AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION: St Patrick's Ath 0, Bohemians 1: IMMEDIATELY AFTER his side won at Inchicore, Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon agreed that it wasn't a bad time to go top of the table for the first time this season.
The events across the city a couple of hours later that saw the pendulum swing the title into Bohemians’ hands, left Fenlon diplomatically speechless.
Four defeats in five games has blown Shamrock Rovers’ seven-point lead. Unbeaten in 10, it’s now Bohemians title to lose.
“I’m not getting into it, the Rovers result doesn’t concern me,” said Fenlon when contacted yesterday.
“I’m concentrating on the cup now, to be honest, I’m not going to talk about the league for a week or two.”
On a day laced with irony, Barry Murphy, Bohemians’ ex-Rovers keeper, made vital late stops to ensure Raffaele Cretaro’s first-half goal was enough to give Bohemians victory. Over at Tallaght further twists promptly followed.
One-time Bohemians midfielder Chris Turner missed a penalty before more celebrated ex-Gypsies Gary O’Neill and Glen Crowe got the late goals to give Sporting Fingal victory.
“It’s not a bad time of the season to be top of the table,” said Fenlon in the immediate aftermath of the win.
“All we wanted to do was to bring it to the last day of the season and see what happens because that can become a little bit edgy for everybody.
“We said eight weeks ago when looking at the fixtures how many points can we get. And we’re very close to the target, in fairness. All we can do is win the next two.”
Bohs can now add their vast experience to their momentum as they go for three-in-a-row titles and a possible second double in three seasons.
“We’ve got good momentum. We’re not conceding goals, which is a plus,” said Fenlon.
“I put it all down to the players. We’ve got great lads in the dressing room. They’ve had a hard season both on and off the pitch.
“Everybody knows about the disappointment in Europe which obviously sticks in the craw a little bit.
“Then to go to Tallaght and get battered as well not so long afterwards. That’s difficult for everybody in the club. They’ve bounced back.
“And I think that they’ve shown that they care and that they are willing to work as hard as they can for the cause. I think the last two games proved that.”
Goalkeeper Murphy held his place following Tuesday’s win over Rovers and made vital late saves to deprive Ryan Guy and then substitute Seán Stewart right at the death.
But the win was controversial as a hotly disputed penalty decision brought the game’s only goal.
That came on 26 minutes when Noel Haverty bodychecked Killian Brennan just inside the area with referee Richie Winter awarding what looked a harsh penalty.
To add to the drama, Brennan’s poor spot kick was brilliantly saved by Chris Bennion. But Cretaro raced in to blast the rebound to the roof off the net.
Pete Mahon rallied his side at the break and they came close to an equaliser on 53 minutes when Vinny Faherty crashed his volley off the bar.
With Sligo Rovers and Sporting winning, it was a damaging defeat for St Patrick’s whose jaded-looking side could yet end up with nothing to show for what was a promising season.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Bennion; Pender, Kenna, Haverty, Bermingham; Guy, McAllister, Mulcahy (O'Brien, 82 mins), Doyle (Stewart, 71 mins); Faherty (O'Connor, 61 mins), North.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; Rossiter, Shelley, Oman, Powell; Brennan, Cronin, Keegan, McGlynn (Quigley, 80 mins); Cretaro (Greene, 89 mins), Byrne (Madden, 61 mins).
Referee:R Winter (Dublin).
