St Patrick’s Athletic fought back from a goal down to share the spoils with Dundalk on Thursday, but centre-back Sean Hoare insists the gap at the top is still bridgeable as his side hunt Shamrock Rovers. The 1-1 draw at Richmond Park lifted Pat’s above Bohemians on goal difference, but the seven-point deficit to the champions leaves the Inchicore side needing a late surge to claim their first Premier Division title since 2013.
What happened in the 1-1 draw with Dundalk?
Pat’s looked set for defeat when Daryl Horgan fired Dundalk ahead from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, but Hoare powered home a second-half header to level the game. The goal - his first for the club since returning from Dundalk - cancelled out Horgan’s strike and handed Pat’s a point that keeps their title hopes mathematically alive. The draw, played on 24 July 2026, saw Dundalk manager Ciarán Kilduff lament another set-piece concession, while Hoare’s header gave his side a late lifeline.
With the game locked at 1-1, Kilduff admitted frustration at the late equaliser but took a point from a tough away trip. “It’s a tough one because we were winning at half-time and conceded from a set-piece again,” he told RTÉ Sport. “But it’s not a bad point in Inchicore.”
Why it matters for St Patrick’s Athletic
The result lifts Pat’s to second on the table, but the seven-point gap to Shamrock Rovers remains daunting. Hoare, speaking after the game, stressed belief is the missing ingredient. “Someone just needs to step up and take it,” he said. “It’s a big task. Rovers have been unstoppable the last seven, eight years. They’ve earned that top spot.”
Pat’s, whose only league title in the 21st century came in 2013, topped the table briefly in 2024 under Stephen Kenny but faded last season. This term started brightly, but slip-ups in big games - including defeats to the champions - have cost them. Hoare insists the talent and hunger are there, but the mentality shift is key. “I want the lads in there to know that we are good enough and believe,” he added.
League standing (final 2025 table - new season not yet under way): 5th in Premier Division, 52 pts, 13W-13D-10L from 36 games, recent form DDDWL. Goals this season: 42 scored, 32 conceded (+10 goal difference).
What comes next for Pat’s?
Hoare pointed to three upcoming games as potential turning points: Derry City, Shelbourne, and Shamrock Rovers in the Cup. “If we win them, get a bit of momentum going, take advantage of them being in Europe,” he said. “Fingers crossed, they get Azerbaijan away in every single one of them.”
The side’s unbeaten run of five games - recent form 0W-5D-0L (DDDDD) - offers a platform, but the title race demands more. Pat’s sit 14 points behind Rovers with no games in hand, leaving little room for error. The next month will define whether Hoare’s belief can translate into silverware.
