St Patrick's Athletic 3 Shelbourne 2
With national tv cameras finally getting around to showing its own nation's Premier league after a mere 13 games of the season have already passed, Ugandan international Charles Mbabazi Livingstone got the chance to show all of Ireland what the whole of Inchicore have known for quite some time, Saint Pats have a truly remarkable player on their hands. While Mbabazi stole the headlines with his dramatic late winner, Pat Dolan's side had ten more heroes in red and white who dug out the comeback of the season to beat Shelbourne 3-2 after falling behind to an early two-goal lead for the visitors.
It was top-notch entertainment once again in one of Dublin's fiercest derbies. Indeed the match, hot on the heels of Shels 6-4 win at Bohs served only as a reminder of how foolish RTE's decision to ignore the national league til October really is.
Shelbourne made much of the running early on, but the Saints were roared on by the vast majority of a 4,000 crowd who produced the best atmosphere seen or heard at the compact ground in years. The Saints impressive singing support bucked tradition by gathering in the Amstel Stand at the shed end. Unfortunately their excellent chanting and support for the saints was unrecorded by the pathetic joke that is RTE.
The saints support rose to acclaim an amazing double save by 'soopah keepa' Shay Kelly after only 2 minutes when he prevented Shels from taking the lead. A poor defensive clearance from Richie Baker's cross fell to Davy Byrne whose powerful drive Shay Kelly did well to parry. Dessie Baker, following up, looked set to score, but St Patrick's captain Trevor Croly somehow got across to block the shot.
Seconds later, St Patrick's defence collapsed. Mbabazi failed to close down Jonathan Minnock out on the left and the Shelbourne defender's cross was headed home by the unmarked Stephen Geoghegan at the near post, for his fifth goal of the season.
It was Shels who settled first as the Saints were totally out of the game, rocked by the early goal and the visitors added a second goal on 16 minutes. Davy Byrne started a move that led to a swift link of passes out left. Byrne then arrived in the box to score from Dessie Baker's cross.
Having been run ragged, St Patrick's needed some sort of a break to get back into the game, it game in dramatic fashion 10 minutes later. A free-kick was awarded after Paul Osam was hacked by Shels imported hardman, Jim Gannon. Up stepped Martin Russell, 25 yards out, curling a pin-point left-footer over the wall and catching Steve Williams, off his gaurd. An amazing goal, and Russell's second direct from a free in 3 games. If David Beckham did it we'd be hearing about it for 10 years!
Gannon then wasted an excellent opportunity to restore Shelbourne's two-goal advantage. Minnock's ball into the St Patrick's area fell kindly for the midfielder, whose shot was brilliantly held by Kelly, even if it was aimed straight at the on-form Saints' shot stopper.
Their goal had given the Saints a boost and, sure enough, another set-piece brought them level three minutes before the break. Shelbourne looked to have cleared Russell's free-kick, but Trevor Croly looped a header over the out-rushing players to put central defender Colm Foley in with a shooting chance.
Foley miscued his shot, but, as fate would have it, the ball ran for Paul Marney - the player at the centre of the controversial points deduction saga - who stole in at the back post to shoot past Steve Williams.
The sides exchanged chances early in the second half before the game settled down to a less frantic pace than the opening forty five. Osam nodded a header wide from a corner taken, inevitablly by set-piece expert Martin Russell. Richie Baker scratched the side of Shay Kelly's left-hand post with a low, angled shot.
The chances seemed to have dried up and a draw looked on the cards, but birthday boy Charlie Livigstone applied a late, late twist to the plot.
With seven minutes remaining, under-rated Paul Donnelly's deep ball from the left picked out Mbabazi at the back post. The midfielder controlled the ball expertly, and held his footing under pressure before shooting past Steve Williams. A famous night, a famous win and one to warm the hearts of the best fans in Ireland as the Saints prepare for the traditionally tough games either side of Christmas.
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Full Pictures from the game - Click Here!
St Patrick's Athletic: S. Kelly; Croly, Foley, Maguire, Donnelly; Osam, Marney, Russell; Mbabazi, L. Kelly, Doyle. Subs: McCarthy for Doyle (54 mins.), Holt for L. Kerlly (72 mins.), Harris for Mbabazi (90 mins).
Shelbourne: Williams; Heary, McCarthy, Hutton, Minnock; Gannon, Crawford, D. Byrne; D. Baker, Geoghegan, R. Baker. Subs: B. Byrne for R. Baker (70 mins.).
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
