3 days ago
Keena on the spot for Saints in Sligo
SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division: Sligo Rovers 0 St Patrick's Athletic 1 (Aidan Keena pen 10)
St Patrick's Athletic revived their stuttering campaign with a scrappy 1-0 win over bottom of the table Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds.
Ex-Sligo striker Aidan Keena's 10th minute penalty was the difference for an underwhelming St Pat's who moved up one place in the table, while this was a 12th loss in 18 games for struggling Sligo.
St Pat's, fifth in the standings coming into this game and with just one win from their last five games, made five changes to their starting team.
Among their absentees were Chris Forrester and teenage sensation Mason Melia. They fielded two ex-Sligo players for this north-west assignment, Simon Power and Aidan Keena.
Sligo welcomed back midfielder Jake Doyle-Hayes and were again looking to their season's breakout star, Owen Elding, who has netted seven goals so far.
St Pat's made the early running - a fizzing shot from Jason McClelland was tipped over by Sam Sargeant - and they hit the front in the 10th minute via Aidan Keena's converted penalty. The spot-kick was awarded following a foul on Simon Power, who was a busy presence for the visitors.
But St Pat's didn't create anything else of note for the remainder of the first period aside from a weak shot on target from goalscorer Aidan Keena.
Sligo, who were a threat when full-back Reece Hutchinson got on the ball on the left flank, only had one chance of note in that first-half - an off target header from Cian Kavanagh, who got on the end of a Jake Doyle-Hayes free-kick delivery.
The woodwork denied Sligo an equaliser in the 52nd minute. Enterprise from teenage full-back led to a curling shot from Ronan Manning that came off the crossbar via a touch from St Pat's defender Joe Redmond.
Simon Power then directed a shot just wide of the far post as St Pat's, although under increased pressure from an improved Sligo, remained a threat on the counter.
Sligo had a chance to rescue a point in the fifth minute of stoppage time but Francely Lomboto's shot was straight at St Pat's goalkeeper Joseph Anang.
Sligo Rovers: Sergeant; Reynolds (McDonagh 65), Mahon, McElroy, Hutchinson; Wolfe (Hakiki 65), Doyle-Hayes; Elding, Manning (Lomboto 78), Fitzgerald; Kavanagh (Waweru 46)
St Patrick's Athletic: Anang; McLaughlin, Redmond, Hoare (Grivosti 44), Breslin; Power, Lennon, McClelland, Elbouzedi; Leavy (Turner 90+5), Keena (Carty 86)
Referee: Neil Doyle Attendance: 2,356
