Soccer

Aaron Greene brace sees Pat’s stretch unbeaten run to seven

Sligo Rovers’ woes continue as Liam Buckley’s men dominate at Richmond Park

Aaron Greene’s brace against his former club Sligo helped St Pat’s to a 3-0 win at Richmond Park. Photograph: Inpho
Aaron Greene’s brace against his former club Sligo helped St Pat’s to a 3-0 win at Richmond Park. Photograph: Inpho
Fri Apr 24 2015 - 22:41

St. Patrick’s Athletic 3 Sligo Rovers 0

Aaron Greene scored twice against his former club as St. Patrick’s produced perhaps their best display of the season to see off struggling Sligo at Richmond Park.

Chris Forrester added a stunning third goal as St. Patrick’s extended their unbeaten run to seven games.

Passing the ball well from the start, the first incisive move of the game should have brought Liam Buckley’s side the lead on six minutes.

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Forrester cleverly worked the ball to Greene whose cross was tamely headed into the arms of Richard Brush by Conan Byrne.

It wasn’t long before Greene found his accuracy, though. A swift counterattack resulted in Ian Bermingham getting forward on the left to cross for Greene to find the net with a glancing header.

Byrne headed another Bermingham cross into the sidenetting before Brush made good stops from a Killian Brennan free kick and Greene’s stinging drive.

It was a spectacular save at the other end on 34 minutes, though, that was needed to keep St. Patrick’s in front.

Morten Nielsen and Keith Ward set up Sligo captain David Cawley to shoot from the edge of the area. Conor O’Malley sprung to his right to tip the shot onto the crossbar and out for a corner.

St. Patrick’s maintained their dominance into the second half with Ciaran Kilduff, booked late in the first half for using his arm to put the ball into the net, having claims for a penalty waved away when he appeared to be taken down by Gary Boylan.

It mattered not, as the impressive Greene struck again on 55 minutes.

Forrester was once more involved, playing the winger in on the left. Greene’s drilled low drive found the far corner of the net.

The equally inspiring Forrester provided the lustre on 84 minutes when bursting through from midfield to score with a perfectly placed low right-foot drive from some 25 yards.

St. Patrick's Athletic: O'Malley; O'Brien (McCormack, 74), Hoare, Browne (Desmond, 86), Bermingham; Bolger; Forrester, Brennan (Chambers, 70); Byrne, Kilduff, Greene.

Sligo Rovers: Brush; Keane, Boylan, Folan, Dykes; Puri, Cawley, Ward (Armstrong, 61), Ledwith (Cretaro, 61); Beattie; Nielsen.

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).