St Patrick's Athletic lost a lead and a key three points in a 2-1 home defeat to Shelbourne on Friday night. Jamie Lennon's first-half strike was cancelled out by a quick reply from Sean Moore before Daniel Kelly's late winner sealed a frustrating night for the Saints.
Kenny's side dominated the match, enjoying 62% possession and creating 24 shots to Shelbourne's 10. Their expected goals of 2.57 dwarfed the visitors' 0.55, but they were punished for not taking their chances. The defeat leaves St Patrick's Athl. second in the Premier Division with 59 points from 32 games, now six points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers. Their record stands at 17 wins, eight draws and seven losses, with a goal difference of plus 27 from 52 scored and 25 conceded.
Missed penalty proves costly
The tone was set early when Aidan Keena, who scored the winner in their last away game against Sligo Rovers on 19 September, saw his 15th-minute penalty saved by Shelbourne goalkeeper Eddie Beach. St Patrick's Athl. eventually broke through just before half-time, with Barry Baggley teeing up Jamie Lennon to fire home in the 43rd minute.
Their lead lasted only six minutes after the restart. Daniel Kelly turned provider, setting up Sean Moore for an equaliser in the 49th minute. Despite their continued pressure, the Saints could not find a second goal. The decisive moment came with six minutes of normal time remaining, as Kelly atoned for an earlier yellow card by scoring what proved to be the winner.
Late drama and looking ahead
The game ended with a red card for Shelbourne substitute Alistair Coote for a serious foul in the 90th minute, but it came too late to affect the outcome. St Patrick's Athl. must now regroup quickly ahead of a trip to face Derry City on Monday 19 October. Derry sit fifth in the table, and the sides played out a 1-1 draw in their last meeting on 2 August.
With the title race tightening, every point is vital. The Saints' recent form of three wins, a draw and a loss from their last five games shows they are still in the fight, a sequence that includes a 4-0 win at Dundalk on 14 September and a 2-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers on 11 September before a 1-1 draw with Bohemians on 5 September. They will need to be more clinical in front of goal, as their top scorer Mark Melia, with 13 goals this season, was absent from the scoresheet against Shelbourne. The full fixtures list shows a busy period ahead as they look to close the gap at the top.
