Lewis strikes late to get the Saints over the line
Alfie Lewis conjured a superb 94th-minute goal to propel St Patrick’s Athletic towards a 1-0 victory over Drogheda United in an SSE Airtricity League Premier Division clash at Head In The Game Park last night.
Already nine points adrift of league leaders Shamrock Rovers – with a game more played – the Inchicore men looked set to fall further behind in the top-flight title race.
At the same time that Pat’s were struggling to break the deadlock in Co. Louth, the Hoops were well on their way to securing a 2-1 success over Derry City in Tallaght.
Usurping their Dublin rivals may ultimately prove to be a bridge too far, but this late show in Drogheda says a lot about the resilience that is within the Saints’ ranks.
A comfortable sixth in the Premier Division table, Drogheda have enjoyed a productive return to the League of Ireland’s top-tier.
Knocklyon native Dane Massey has been one of their key performers in 2021 and was once again named in their starting line-up.
Playing in front of live television cameras, both teams were struggling to create clear-cut openings.
Chris Forrester fired narrowly past the post just shy of the first-quarter mark, but that was the closest the visitors came to a breakthrough before the interval.
As expected, Pat’s ramped up the pressure on the restart.
Ronan Coughlan and Matty Smith both went close, while Forrester had another effort cleared off the line.
There was a welcome return to the field for the fully-fit Lee Desmond as the action progressed, with Billy King and Ben McCormack also added to the fray as the Richmond Park outfit continued to search for a deadlock-breaker.
When McCormack headed straight at Drogs custodian David Odumosu from close-range on 88 minutes, it looked set to be a frustrating evening for Pat’s.
However, there was to be a final sting in the tail.
From virtually the final play of the game, Lewis rifled an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner of the net to seal a 16th league win of the season for the Saints.
