King and Burns goals earn Pat’s second place
Billy King and Darragh Burns grabbed goals at Richmond Park last night as a 2-2 draw with Finn Harps secured runners-up spot for St Patrick’s Athletic in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
While the Saints were searching for a win – and threatened to come away with the spoils for large stretches – a defeat for Liam Buckley’s Sligo Rovers at the hands of Derry City means the Inchicore men are five points clear with just one game left to play in this season’s top-flight.
Considering how far off the pace Pat’s have been in recent years, this represents a fine season’s work for Stephen O’Donnell’s charges.
There is also the small matter of an FAI Cup decider against Bohemians in the coming weeks but, for the time being, the Saints will be satisfied to come away with second place.
Although a number of games involving Pat’s have taken their time to catch fire during the current campaign, it was a pulsating first-quarter of action at Richmond.
Just 15 minutes were gone on the clock when Burns released King for a routine finish.
Ollie Horgan’s Harps have been formidable opponents for many sides in 2021, however, and Sean Boyd almost immediately got them back on level terms. Indeed, the Donegal outfit threatened to spoil the party when Boyd doubled his tally on the stroke of 20 minutes.
This was a brace of hammer blows for the hosts, but it took them just three minutes to get back on level terms.
Following a pass forward by Jamie Lennon, Burns headed clinically to the Harps net.
After a frantic period of play, the game inevitably started to settle into a more composed stride.
The teams were inseparable at the break and while further goalmouth chaos was anticipated on the restart, it never quite materialised.
Harps finished with 10 men after Kosovar Sadiki was sent-off on a second yellow card offence and Chris Forrester was desperately unfortunate to have an effort cleared off the line with six minutes remaining.
The visitors ultimately held out to earn a share of the spoils, which proved to be enough for St Pat’s to confirm their position in the final standings
