THE season has only started but the heat is already on St. Pat’s as they dropped points for the second week in a row, this time away to a rampant Galway side.
Styles make fights, and the direct play of the home team versus the crisper passing of the visitors made for a brilliant game.
The first 30 minutes had everything, goals, cards, controversy and quality. It was the Patrick Hickey show, with the American netting twice early to set up his side.
St. Pat’s suffered a blow before a ball was kicked, as Jamie Lennon got injured in the warm-up.
It didn’t show as the visitors were well on top early. Their passing and movement left the home team bamboozled. Romal Palmer’s shot from outside the box had to be tipped over.
United did settle, Pat Hickey winning headers helped to turn the tide. He did brilliantly to win one on the edge of the box and lay off to Stephen Walsh. He found Moses Dyer who scuffed his shot and missed a golden chance.
It had to be Hickey to break the deadlock. He found space outside the box in the 18th minute. He drilled low, it deflected off Luke Turner and then Joe Redmond to leave Joseph Anang with no chance.
The second came from a cracking cross from the right. Jeannot Esua planted the ball on the head of the big American. He thundered home from six yards.
Pat’s showed their quality to get back into the game quickly. and had one back inside the half hour mark. The ball bounced around after a corner, and Aidan Keena hit a cracking half-volley on the turn to make it 2-1.
They will have felt they had a strong shout for a penalty too in a goalmouth scramble after one of the many corners they forced.
Brandon Kavanagh and Zach Elbouzedi brought brilliant saves from Brendan Clarke as they pushed hard for an equalizer in a frantic first half.
At the other end, Stephen Walsh will have been disappointed not to make it 3-1, after another dangerous ball from the right flashed across goal.
The second half was calmer. A lovely short corner routine from United almost teed up Greg Cunningham but his shot was well blocked. Hickey had his chance for a hat-trick but headed straight at Anang.
Other than that, Pat’s were on top. Mason Melia was dangerous.
Captain Redmond came close with a header. Simon Power also looked good off the bench.
Jake Mulraney had flashes of class on the right but was undone by a last-gasp goal-line clearance from Esua. Simon Power was also a threat as Stephen Kenny emptied his bench in search of an equaliser.
There were 5 minutes of added time but United were streetwise and killed the momentum late on.
SUN STAR MAN – Patrick Hickey (Galway Utd)
GALWAY UTD: Clarke 8; Esua 8, Slevin 7, Brouder 7, Cunningham 8, Burns 7 (Donelon 71 6); Keohane 7, Hickey 9, Hurley 7 (Borden 81 5); Walsh 7 (Wilson 90 N/A), Dyer 7 (Byrne 71 7)
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Anang 7; McLaughlin 7, Redmond 7, Turner 7, Breslin 6 (Kazeem 83 5); Palmer 7 (Forrester 83 5), Baggley 7, Kavanagh 6 (Melia 45 7); Elbouzedi 7 (Power 71 6), Keena 8 (Carty 86 N/A), Mulraney 6
Referee: D MacGraith 8
