St Pat’s 1-0 Shamrock Rovers
What started out as the latest episode of the Jack Byrne show quickly became a Darragh Burns highlights reel.
Ireland boss Stephen Kenny was at Richmond Park to run the rule over the returning Hoops ace who had ignited his season against Drogheda on Monday.
But although he ran the show in the first-half, the Saints went marching in with Burns to the fore and Chris Forrester on the mark as Rovers slipped from top spot.
After back-to-back defeats to Bohemians and Sligo Rovers, the FAI Cup holders couldn’t afford another defeat even at this early juncture.
Questions were already being asked of their appetite for a meaningful title bid having finished second to the Hoops last season.
But they duly hauled themselves back into the pack by holding firm under a late Rovers assault to scalp the champions for the first time since 2018.
And Byrne’s frustration at the see-saw events was summed up when the Ireland international blazed an injury-time free high and wide to cheers and jeers.
That neither team made a breakthrough before half-time shouldn’t take away from the entertainment in front of a 5,500-capacity crowd on a bouncing, raucous night.
The Hoops played the more inventive football initially and some of their early movement was spellbinding at times with master magician Byrne casting spells.
But those around him weren’t always on the same wavelength.
And Joseph Anang only had one save of note to make before the break, although the on-loan West Ham keeper got no peace.
That said, Saints made the brighter start with Mark Doyle twice going close in the opening five minutes with a shot and then a header that kept Alan Mannus alert.
But Rovers soon found their rhythm and Anang thwarted Rory Gaffney when Danny Mandroiu played him in with a soft, clipped ball over the Saints cover.
No prizes for guessing that Byrne was Rovers’ orchestrator in chief.
Sometimes he played a little too deep, but he was willing to travel anywhere and everywhere for the ball and St Pat’s struggled to keep tabs on him.
But Anang spotted the playmaker’s only shot - from Lee Grace’s killer pass - from a long way out and wasn’t threatened.
But the keeper - whose distribution was often erratic - did well to deny Ronan Finn when the Rovers skipper got the better of Anto Breslin close in.
And Mandroiu was only a yard wide with a shot moments later - from a Byrne pass - that brought the 1,100 Rovers behind that goal to life.
After a Dylan Watts effort that was easily dealt with by Anang, the hosts felt aggrieved not to win a penalty just before the break.
Ref Rob Harvey wasn’t buying Eoin Doyle’s version of events after he hit the deck under a Grace challenge when attempting to reach Burns’ through ball.
Yet Saints were anything but by standers. Sure, they had to soak up pressure but Burns and Billy King were livewires who packed a punch.
Burns, in particular, was a joy to watch and received a standing ovation late on.
Adam O’Reilly was a ball of aggression in midfield and set the Saints tempo - and it was game on when his midfield partner Forrester headed the hosts in front.
The captain didn’t look troubled as he rose to meet Burns’ corner just 10 minutes into the second-half to floor the champions.
But Rovers refused to bow and Anang’s unorthodox save to deny Lyons - at left-wing back again - from the edge of the box was needed.
And so too was the late effort to deny Grace.
St Pat’s were certainly hanging on, and some fans were watching through their fingers, but heart and desire got them back on track in the end.
