St Patrick's Athletic have issued the best possible response to Ollie Byrne's increasingly pathetic vendetta against our club. Saint Pat's obviously prefer to let their football team rather than their legal team do the talking. With two crucial wins secured the hard way, coming from a goal down to beat Cork City and tonight against Bray the message from Inchicore seems loud and clear "You better get a better legal team Ollie, because there is no way the Saints will give up on the pitch".
Only a single point seperates the teams, though Shels have still to travel to Cork on Sunday, the bogey team that finished their title dreams last season and Pats have a game in hand, to be played against Derry City on Tuesday night.
It was tough going against the in-form Bray side however as the Saints fell behind to a sucker punch from a Bray set piece. It was a real "Pats" goal in many ways, not least because the ball was lofted in from the free by former Saint, Keith Doyle.
Wes Charles nodded down Doyle's angled free kick into the path of Barry O'Connor who finished with ease for his first goal since September.
It was hardly a true reflection of the balance of play but the Saints knuckled down in search of an equalizer with a good mix of industrious and silky football.
Referee Damien Hancock infuriated the home team, fans and technical staff with his over-protection of Bray goalkeeper Matt Gregg. Gregg took his lead from the refs seemingly boundless generousity and did his best to waste as much time possible at goal kicks.
Hancock had a couple of controversial penalty calls to make early on as Paul Keegan was up ended in the box rather unceremoniously by Darragh Maguire. If the striker had a legitimate claim, he certainly wasn't making it as there was no protest from the Bray player, who carried on and managed to get a shot in on goal.
Super sub Michael Holt, made his second telling contribution in two games when his positive running at the heart of the Bray defence led to a crippling challenge by Eddie Gormley. A well placed Hancock pointed to the spot and Martin Russell did the rest blasting into the net at at a packed Shed-End.
Within six minutes of the penalty the Saints were in front, Robbie Griffin's ball over the top allowing McCarthy to produce a delicious lob over Gregg as he rushed off his line. It was McCarthy's second in two games and it was another vital goal.
There was a nerve wracking finish as ever to the game as the Saints were forced to defend their 2-1 lead, they did so and not even 5 minutes added time was enough to help Bray or Shelbourne for that matter. Everything is set up for a great finish to this season.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Kelly; Croly, Foley, Maguire, Burke; Marney (Holt, 64 mins), Osam, Griffin, Russell; Mbabazi (Kelly, 80 mins), McCarthy.
BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Britton, Doohan, Charles, K Doyle (Byrne, 71 mins); Tresson, Fox, Gormley (R Doyle, 76 mins), Keogh; O'Connor, Keegan (Forsyth, 76 mins).
Referee: D O'Hanlon (Waterford).
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