ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC produced a late flurry of goals to seal the three points at Drogheda United's expense at Hunky Dorys Park.

This one was finely poised for 70 minutes as the contest remained deadlocked but a blitzkrieg by St Pats in the final 20 minutes when they scored three times without reply kept their push for the title on track.

The opening half was full of endeavour on both sides with St Pats creating the greater share of the few opportunities that materialised. Early on a poor Dave Mulcahy header back to his keeper Gary Rogers Drogheda striker Dinny Corcoran pounced but drove his effort into the side.

As the half wore on the visitors upped the ante as Danny North saw his shot saved by Stephen Trimble before he combined superbly with Ian Bermingham only for the latter to pull his shot across the face of goal.

Ian Daly then clipped his effort narrowly over, North rapped his header off the outside of the post and the same player turned his marker on the edge of the box but again Trimble made the stop.

The second half began with a bang as both sides hit the target within three minutes of the restart. The Saints hit the front when Ian Bermingham raced down the left and crossed for Daryl Kavanagh who ghosted through the heart of United’s defence to score.

The Saints joy was short lived as Drogheda equalised virtually from the re-start as Tiernan Mulvenna and Philip Hand combined for the latter to send the ball through to Corcoran who curled his effort to the bottom corner of the net.

Corcoran was denied a second and the lead for United when Rogers got down really well to turn his shot round the post. A bold double substitution by Pete Mahon paid handsome dividends as the Inchicore outfit scored twice in a five minute spell to put themselves in pole position to take the points.

On 71 minutes one of the replacements Anthony Murphy met Stephen Bradley’s free to power his header home and four minutes later and the same player crossed for North who guided his header back across goal for Derek Doyle who sent his header to the top corner.

St Pats rounded off a sound nights work just before the end when North was involved in another assist for Ian Daly who all too easily rattled the net from close range.  

DROGHEDA UNITED: Trimble, Nolan (Hanaphy 80), Hand, McNally, Ekanem, Gannon, O’Brien, Quigley, Corcoran, Mulvenna, Freeman (McNamara 77).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Rogers, Harney, Bermingham (Carroll 64), McMillan, Mulcahy (Murphy 68), Bradley, McFaul, Doyle (Crowley 77), Kavanagh, Daly, North.

REFEREE: P Tuite (Dublin)