The title race was blown wide open thanks to Gary Twigg's 19th goal of the season to raptures of approval at Tallaght Stadium.

 

With champions Bohemians losing for the second time in a week as they finished with nine men at Dalymount, this win, which stretches Rovers unbeaten league run to 17 games, sets up a mouth-watering clash when the arch-rivals meet in Dublin 24 on October 2.

 

Well up for it before another 5,000 crowd, Rovers took the game to Saints and Sean O'Connor turned Ryan Guy and Enda Stevens inside out down the right flank before rifling a left-foot shot off Gary Rogers crossbar on 17 minutes.

 

With news having filtered through that Bohs had fallen behind at home to Bray, it got even better for Rovers when they took the lead on the half hour mark with what would prove the game's only goal.

 

Twigg bustled his way into the box from Skipper Stephen Rice's through ball and was eventually pulled down by Damian Lynch.

 

The Saints skipper was shown a straight red card and Twigg duly despatched the penalty to the net.

 

It came close to being 2-0 on 36 minutes. Dessie Baker flicked Ian Bermingham's cross on to O'Connor whose crisp drive curled not far wide of Rogers' right-hand post.

 

But St. Pat's almost caught Rovers cold three minutes into the second half as they came very close to levelling with their first effort on target.

 

Declan O'Brien's cross in from the right wasn't defended and Dave Partridge's shot brought the first save, and a good one at that, of the night from Barry Murphy.

 

Murphy excelled again on 70 minutes when pushing Stevens stinging shot out for a corner.

 

Shamrock Rovers: Murphy; Bermingham, Price (Robinson 68), Sives, Flynn; Rice, Bradley, Cahill, O'Connor (Chisolm 87); Twigg (Barrett 72 mins), Baker.

 

Substitutes Not Used: Duggan, Cowen.

 

St Patrick's Athletic: Rogers; Lynch, Gavin, Partridge, Stevens, Byrne, Guy, O'Connor, Cawley (Dempsey 75); O'Brien, Quigley.

 

Substitutes Not Used: Clarke, Fitzpatrick, Harris, Ryan.

 

Referee: Derek Tomney.