A spectacular goal from Keith Fahey got St Patricks' season off to the perfect start at Richmond Park yesterday.

The Ireland midfielder had cracked home a stunning strike in his first game back in Inchicore in the Leinster Senior Cup win over Dundalk a fortnight ago. Another sublime goal yesterday gave Liam Buckley’s champions the inaugural President’s Cup.

Having surrendered their league title at the same venue back in October, it was the FAI Cup holders Sligo who displayed a little more purpose early on in front of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill and his assistant Roy Keane.

But their promising start counted for nothing as they were behind – for what proved the winning goal – on 17 minutes.

Right-foot volley
A second successive corner from Killian Brennan was hooked away by Joseph Ndo. The ball dropped perfectly for Fahey, though, whose right-foot volley from outside the area found the top corner of Richard Brush's net.

The strike prompted one St Patrick’s fan to holler “did you see that Martin?”.

And see it O’Neill did, commenting when asked at the interval: “It was a fantastic goal – a really fantastic goal.

“I think he got a little bit irritated a minute or two before half-time when one of his players went in and had a shot when it was coming out to him. I think he was thinking about the double at that stage. But it was a great, great strike – a great goal.”

A defensive error then almost resulted in Sligo conceding a second on 23 minutes.

A stray pass from left-back Danny Ledwith was intercepted by the darting run of Chris Forrester. The Sligo left-back was duly happy to see the first time shot fly marginally wide.

St Patrick’s had appeals for a penalty for an apparent handball turned down three minutes into the second half when a shot from Conan Byrne was blocked away by Jeff Henderson.

Sligo pressed for good spells thereafter, but rarely threatened.