Late Daniel Kelly strike sees Dundalk secure a vital draw at home to St Pats

SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Dundalk 1-1 St Patrick’s Athletic

Ten-man Dundalk FC denied St Patrick’s Athletic the chance to go second in the SSE Airtricity League table, scoring a late equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw at Oriel Park.

Conor Carty’s first-half goal, along with Rayhaan Tulloch’s dismissal in the second period, had put The Dubliners in control against a Dundalk side who rarely threatened.

Out of nowhere, however, the electric Daniel Kelly rescued a point from fellow substitute Cameron Elliott’s assist to extend Dundalk’s unbeaten run in the league to four matches.

With the exception of Jamie Lennon firing well over from outside the box for St Pats, the first half an hour of this game offered nothing in terms of chances created at either end.

However, Jon Daly’s side hit the front in the 33rd minute, when a long Sam Curtis set-piece up the pitch was misjudged by Robbie McCourt, allowing Jake Mulraney to slip in Adam Murphy, who then squared for Carty to finish from close range and make it 1-0.

Dundalk’s first and only effort of the first half came three minutes before the break, as a pinpoint Archie Davies cross was met by the head of Connor Malley, but St Pats goalkeeper Dean Lyness reacted brilliantly to produce a save from point-blank range.

The Lilywhites were reduced to 10 players on 55 minutes when Tulloch, already on a booking, needlessly tangled with Mark Doyle inside his own half, giving referee Damien MacGraith little option but to issue a second yellow to the West Bromwich Albion loanee.

With Dundalk’s already difficult task now made all the more challenging, St Pats predictably had opportunities to make it 2-0 following Tulloch’s dismissal, first with a Chris Forrester cross from the right being toe-poked over by the boot of Mulraney.

The hosts had Nathan Shepperd to thank for keeping them in this game right on the hour-mark, with the Welsh stopper making himself big to superbly deny Carty a second of the night after he had been neatly slipped through on goal by Mulraney’s incisive pass.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Dundalk ended up finishing this game the stronger, with substitute Darragh Leahy’s cross which became a shot leaving Lyness at full stretch, while Davies had two errant attempts as the match entered its closing stages.

Then, in the 84th minute, Kelly capitalised on a mix-up at the back for St Pats to slot the ball beyond the already committed Lyness, sending the home crowd into sheer delirium.

Shepperd somehow denied Thomas Lonergan after that, while Kelly almost won it at the other end for Stephen O’Donnell’s side in stoppage-time, but turned just wide from a Davies cross, not long before John Martin headed over as both teams took a point apiece.

Dundalk FC: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Andy Boyle, Louie Annesley (Hayden Muller 59), Robbie McCourt (Darragh Leahy 68); Greg Sloggett, Paul Doyle (Cameron Elliott HT) (John Martin 89); Ryan O’Kane (Daniel Kelly 59), Connor Malley, Rayhaan Tulloch; Patrick Hoban

Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (gk), Mark Byrne (gk), Johannes Yli-Kokko, Eoin Kenny

St Patrick’s Athletic: Dean Lyness; Harry Brockbank (Jay McGrath 45), Noah Lewis, Sam Curtis, Anto Breslin; Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester; Jake Mulraney (Thomas Lonergan 73), Adam Murphy (Thijs Timmermans 85), Mark Doyle (Jason McClelland 73); Conor Carty (Eoin Doyle 85)

Subs not used: David Odumosu (gk), Ben McCormack, Darius Lipsiuc, Mason Melia

Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo)

Attendance: 2,371