Brennan admits Pat’s in relegation battle after Killeshin defeat
Killeshin’s Chris Bermingham and St. Patrick’s Jan Flejszar clash as Callum Warfield tries to get a shot away. All Photos: Michael O'Rourke
St. Pat’s manager, Patrick Brennan admitted his side are in a relegation battle after their defeat against Killeshin, admitting they are in a precarious position.
“We're under pressure. We're in a bit of a bother at the moment. Here's where we are. We're now in a relegation battle. And it's as simple as that. We've got to get a win. We only flirted with them for a few years and we're back to where at the moment we belong, which is down at the bottom end of the table.”
This was Pat’s third defeat in a row, their fourth defeat of the season and their third home defeat of the season, the third time this season they’ve conceded four goals. They conceded two penalties in the game and defensively were poor.
Killeshin to their credit took advantage of the poor defending. Even when they went behind, they kept going and found a way back into the game.
Killeshin went closest early on when an Adam Farrell effort from the left was hit at the ‘keeper. Ravo Kilonda put in a cross from the right into Callum Warfield but he couldn’t control the ball. With 15 minutes gone, Felipe Modesto beat Kilonda and put a ball in for Xoli Stafford who fired in to open the scoring. Three minutes later, Modesto found himself in but Sean Murphy in the Pat’s goal dealt with it.
With 20 minutes gone, Modesto was taken down in the box and Mannion sent Murphy the wrong way, hitting into the left as Killeshin doubled their lead. Farrell had an effort deflected wide for Killeshin. With ten minutes to go in the first half, Jan Flejszar fired an effort wide.
A minute later, a Brandon Kelly free from the left on the edge of the box was fired across the box by Evan Frachon. Dean Kelly picked up the ball from the left and Josh Moore headed in as the hosts pulled back a goal. With two minutes to go, a penalty gave Pat’s a chance to pull a goal back, but Warfield’s effort was saved by Daire Phelan.
After the break, Pat’s came out fighting. A Dean Kelly corner from the right was cleared off the line with three minutes gone before Flejszar found Warfield who had a golden chance to score but couldn’t finish. Moore found the head of Brandon Kelly whose effort was cleared by Phelan.
With five minutes gone, a super free from the edge of the box slightly to the right from Dean Kelly was blasted into the top right hand corner as Pat’s levelled in style.
Three minutes later, they took the lead for the first time as Kilonda fired an effort from the right off the crossbar and it bounced back for Flejszar in the box and he hit in from close range to take the lead.
On the hour mark, Flejszar hit an effort straight at Phelan in the goal. A Flejszar effort two minutes later was palmed wide on the right. Warfield went close from the right but found his effort saved by Phelan.
With 15 minutes to go, Farrell was taken down in the box and Mannion again stepped up to convert the resulting spot kick.
Five minutes later, Stafford beat the defender and fired in for the fourth goal. Pat’s had their chances. Warfield fired an effort from the right across the box, Brandon Kelly hit a free short to Eoin Carolan to his left but his effort went over the bar, Joe Sunderland played a great ball to Brandon Kelly behind the defence who played a ball into Warfield but he couldn’t get on the end of it, Frachon's header was tipped over the bar and a Brandon Kelly corner from the left saw Ciaran FitzGerald head just wide at the back post.
Sean Murphy, Ravo Kilonda, Dean Kelly, Joe Gordon, Evan Frachon, Josh Moore, Tobi Jimoh, Jan Flejszar, Callum Warfield, Brandon Kelly, Joe Sunderland.
Jamie Farrell, Ciaran FitzGerald, Eoin Carolan, Luca Hutton.
Daire Phelan, Jeff Mannion, Cormac O’Hara, Paul Roberts, Ricardo Maranhao, Chris Bermingham, James Brennan, Radoslaw Witkowski, Xoli Stafford, Felipe Modesto, Adam Farrell.
Ian Brennan, Alan Brennan, Dawid Jarmakow, Kacper Zarzycki, Luiz Neto, Reginaldo Dos Santos, Greg Sykula.
Pat O’Connor assisted by Nathan Bannon and Joe Byrne
