Stephen Kenny tells St Pat's players to 'go and play like league leaders now'
A satisfied Stephen Kenny challenged his side to "go and play like league leaders" after they combined first-half verve with second-half grit to go top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
The Saints were 2-0 up at half-time at home to Galway on Friday night but lost Axel Sjoberg to a second yellow card in the 69th minute and had to close out a victory with 10 men that lifted them above Drogheda United.
"I felt it was contrasting halves in that we had to show two sides of the team's character," the former Ireland boss told RTÉ Sport.
"Brilliant football first half, thought we dominated, had terrific sequences of play and scored two great goals.
"Admittedly Galway missed a great chance just before we scored our first one but we thoroughly deserved a two-nil lead. I felt at half-time we were well on top and had dominated the ball. The two players that scored, Kian Leavy and Zack Elbouzedi, they both could have done with a goal and they both got a goal. Brilliant goals and delighted for them.
"Galway are a very good team. They were putting us under pressure to start the second half but I thought the sending off for Axel Sjoberg seemed quite harsh, to say the least, but it is what it is.
"And with 10 men, then we had to show a resolute side. We had to show our determination as a group and had to defend.
"Galway had some chances and [goalkeeper] Joe Anang did well for us. Overall, I thought we deserved to win."
Kenny accepted that Aidan Keena's return from a hamstring injury might have been "premature" but felt his side had needed more of a creative spark after their late capitulation at Dalymount Park last week.
"We were so disappointed last week, it was a real kick in the teeth for us to concede two late goals against Bohemians," he said.
"You don't get over that easy. So we had to get that out of our system and get a win tonight. Galway had been top of the league, so that puts us up there for the moment.
"And we've got to go and play like league leaders now against Derry on Monday.
"It's a quick turnaround and then we've got to get back for Tolka Park, which will be an epic game against Shelbourne on Friday.
"They are tough games but there's nothing easy in life and you have to earn everything you get."
Galway manager John Caulfield rued his side's failure to get the first goal that would have put the hosts under pressure in the second period but, just over a third of the way through the season, the Tribesmen are just two points off the top of the table.
"On another night we might have scored a goal or two in the second half," he said. "We were well on top and playing really well.
"We felt if we got a goal back it would make it an interesting game, but we couldn't and we move on.
"We did well last year, but we feel that we need to do better this year and kick on. There is a difference between competing and challenging for a title every week.
"If we are in with a chance of Europe at the end of the season, so be it, but this league is going to right down to the wire at both ends."
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The 42
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Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
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Preview: Galway have a better panel but Kilkenny's superior team to shade it
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