STEPHEN KENNY’S Saints snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with two goals in the dying minutes in Waterford.
Brandon Kavanagh sealed all three points for the Inchicore side with a stunning free-kick in the fourth minute of injury time to send Pat’s top of the Premier Division.
Six minutes earlier, Blues defender Darragh Leahy put the ball into his own net to hand the visitors a lifeline after they had fallen behind to a first-half header from Blues captain Pádraig Amond.
The deadlock had been broken on the 14th minute when Ryan Burke found space out on the left before crossing for Amond. And the veteran striker headed home from 12 yards. For long periods, it looked as if Amond’s strike was going to be the only goal of the game.
With Waterford doing most of the defending during the first 45 minutes, Kenny could only look on in disbelief when a goalbound effort from Tottenham-bound teen star Mason Melia was brilliantly blocked by Blues defender Grant Horton on 28 minutes.
The six minutes of madness which decided the match began two minutes from the final whistle.
Former Coventry City man Leahy headed into his own net when trying to clear a cross from Kavanagh. But there was still more drama to come.
With the game well into stoppage time, Pat’s midfielder Zach Elbouzedi was fouled by Leahy on the edge of Waterford’s penalty area.
And Kavanagh stepped up to apply the finishing touch from the resulting free-kick, beating Blues keeper Stephen McMullan and giving his side a most unlikely victory on the road.
SUN STAR MAN
Brandon Kavanagh (St Pat’s)
WATERFORD: McMullan 7; Coyle 7 (Lonergan 70, 5), Radkowski 6, Horton 6, Leahy 5, Burke 7 (Pouwels 90, 2); McDonald 6 (Glenfield 70, 4), McMenamy 7, Olayinka 8; Noonan 6 (Bakboord 78, 3), Amond 7.
ST PAT’S ATHLETIC: Anang 7; Sjoberg 5 (Carty 82, 4), Grivosti 6 (Hoare 90, 2), Redmond 6, Breslin 6 (McClelland 65, 6); Mulraney 6 (Power 65, 6), Kavanagh 8, Baggley 5 (Lennon 65, 5), Forrester 7, Elbouzedi 7; Melia 6.
REFEREE: K O’Sullivan (Cork) 7.
