National League/ Bohemians 1; St Patrick's Athletic 2: Bohemians received a lesson in the importance of taking your chances last night as St Patrick's Athletic plundered a 2-1 victory at Dalymount Park.

Last season's champions dominated the game both territorially and in terms of chances but their failure to turn chances into goals cost them dearly as St Patrick's Athletic took the only two chances to come their way through David Freeman and Jamie Harris.

Bohemians will feel hard done by, but St Pat's will feel their earned their luck with a tireless display in defence, where Colm Foley, Darragh Maguire and goalkeeper Chris Adamson were superb.

After a quiet opening, Bohemians took control, with Kevin Hunt first to threaten with a thunderbolt of a shot that cannoned back off the underside of the bar while Glen Crowe also went close with a powerful header from a Bobby Ryan cross.

Hunt struck the bar for a second time in the 28th minute with yet another powerful long-range shot, and seconds later Crowe forced Adamson to make a good save after slipping through the cover.

And on the stroke of half-time, Robbie Doyle missed a sitter when he slid the ball wide of a gaping goal after Crowe's cut-back found him unmarked on the penalty spot.

But six minutes into the second half, St Patrick's punished the home side for their failure to take chances when Freeman slotted home a right-wing Harris cross after Damien Lynch's slip at the crucial moment gifted the chance to the Pat's striker.

Bohemians battled back, with Adamson making a magnificent save to deny Hunt in the 58th minute after a Ryan free kick found the midfielder unmarked in the area. And an equaliser duly arrived in the 63rd minute when a Fergal Harkin left-wing cross was met by an unmarked Crowe at the back post and he headed powerfully home.

But while the Bohemians fans were still celebrating, St Pat's raced up the other end and retook the lead when Freeman raced into the area before squaring the ball to left winger Mbabazi Livingstone, who tricked his way past Lynch before pulling the ball back for Harris to tap home.

Second later, St Pat's were nearly given a taste of their own medicine when Doyle caught goalkeeper Adamson in possession but blazed over under pressure from Maguire. And in the closing stages, Maguire and his defensive cohorts were put under immense pressure as Bohemians threw everything into attack.

But they couldn't find a way through, with Adamson making two point-blank saves from Crowe and Caffrey and numerous other efforts flashing wide of the posts.

BOHEMIANS: Kelly; Lynch, McGuinness, Heary, Webb; Ryan, Hunt, Caffrey, Harkin; Doyle, Crowe. Subs: McNally for McGuinness (70 mins), Ward for Doyle (76 mins), Rutherford for Lynch (82 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Prenderville, Maguire, Foley, El Khebyr; Fahey, Donnelly, Osam, Livingstone; Harris, Freeman. Subs: Dunne for Freeman (76 mins), Croly for Prenderville (82 mins).

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).