Bohemians 5 St Patrick’s Athletic 1
Bohemians steamrolled over Dublin rivals St Pat's to take the points in a cracking game played before a crowd of 1,515 spectators in warm sunshine at Dalymount Park. Bohs were two up after four minutes through goals from Roberto Lopes and Ismahil Akinade and the game was over as a contest after Jake Kelly netted on 13 and 31 minutes.
Ian Bermingham scored a consolation for Pat's on 79 minutes before having Sean Hoare sent off on 82 minutes for pulling back Akinade in the box. Kurtis Byrne scored Bohs' fifth from the resulting spot kick.
Lopes gave Bohs the lead on three minutes from close range with his first league goal of the season after Kurtis Byrne put the ball back into the box following Pat’s failure to clear a free kick.
Bohs doubled their lead less than a minute later. Pat's lost the ball from the restart and Akinade took advantage, skipping his way through the Pat's defence before finishing well past Brendan Clarke for his first league goal of 2016, to add to two in the Leinster Senior Cup.
Bohs scored again on 13 minute when Kelly ran onto a perfect ball from Dan Byrne and slotted neatly past Clarke from just under 20 yards out. Having netted once in the League Cup, it also a first in the Premier Division for former Pat's man Kelly.
Pat's fought back and Christy Fagan was unlucky on 18 minutes when he met a free kick at the near post but his clipped effort went wide. This mini spell of good Pat's play ended on 21 minutes with Delany stopping a shot from Fagan with his right foot.
Kelly scored his second of the afternoon on 31 minutes when the Pat’s defence gave Akinade too much time and space at the far post to knock the ball down for the former Pat’s man to bundle the ball over the line despite Desmond doing his utmost to keep the ball out.
On 68 minutes Akinade was clearly pushed in the back by Pat's defender Hoare inside the penalty area but referee Graham Kelly surprised the majority in the crowd by not awarding what looked like a clear penalty.
Bermingham headed in a consolation on 79 minutes before Hoare was red carded for pulling back Akinade on 82 minutes. Kelly gave the penalty this time and Kurtis Byrne made no mistake with his spot kick.
Bohemians: Delany; Hayes, Mulcahy, D Byrne, Pender (Best 85 mins); Buckley, Lopes, Wearen (Kavanagh 53 mins), K Byrne; Akinade, J Kelly (Fitzgerald 79 mins).
St Patrick's Athletic: Clarke; O'Brien, Hoare, Desmond, Bermingham; G Kelly; McGrath, Dennehy (Feely h/t), Verdon, Timlin (Treacy 79 mins); Fagan (Corcoran 85 mins).
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).