Byrne Reacts as Saints Progress to Quarter Finals

St. Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Conan Byrne was back on the scoresheet after an absence of three months on Friday night, as his side dispatched soon-to-be First Division champions Limerick 2-0 to progress to the last eight of the FAI Cup at Richmond Park.

The score-line could have read significantly higher on the night were it not for an inspired display from Blues goalkeeper Freddy Hall who produced a man-of-the-match performance in the second period, making save after acrobatic save to banish blushes from a Limerick side who had failed to capitalise on a promising opening spell of dominance in Inchicore.

Byrne opened the scoring for St Pat’s following the second of what would be a handful of pinpoint cross-field balls from the left side of defence from defender Ian Bermingham. Byrne’s first touch made the move which saw the 31-year-old manoeuvre his body around marker Shane Tracy who failed to anticipate the movement of the ball.

The St Pat’s midfielder manipulated the space he had carved open in the Limerick defence well, and after running into the opposition box was fortunate to have his left-footed strike deflected beyond goalkeeper Hall’s dive and into the back of the net by defender Robbie Williams.

“We are chuffed,” said Byrne on the victory. “Our first half performance was very disappointing but I think once we got the goal we settled down a little bit and came out in the second half. I think we dominated the second half, but we needed that second goal and thankfully we got it.”

“It was nice to get on the scoresheet tonight, it’s been a few months actually. I should have put away a few more. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t hit the back of the net more than once but Freddy Hall… I think I had a little personal duel with him tonight.”

“It was a great ball out of defence into my path and I saw Shane [Tracy] coming towards me maybe a bit too quickly – one touch and I knew I’d be by him. The touch needed to be good and thankfully it was. I ran at the back four and I don’t think I hit my strike too well, I don’t know if it was going in. But it took the deflection anyway and it was on its way.”

St. Pat’s’ second came when Mark Timlin’s corner kick, swung in too deep at the far post, was acrobatically directed back across goal by the head of Sean Hoare. Limerick keeper Hall had followed the ball from the corner to meet Hoare and in doing so left an empty net which striker Christy Fagan was willing and able to tap an easy header into at the front post to double his side’s lead.

The win is St. Pats fifth in six games across all competitions since the beginning of August. It too presented Limerick, who only need victory over UCD next weekend to secure the 2016 First Division, a chance to meet their namesake all season as a Premier Division team playing in the First Division.

“I thought they were a European team in the first half the way we were playing”, Byrne joked on Limerick’s performance. “We couldn’t get to grips with them at all but once we settled into the game and once we scored they seemed to retreat, go back into their own half and they gave us much more time on the ball. They are a top side but I think we played very well tonight and especially in the second half.”

The sides will meet again on September 17 in the Market’s Field in this year’s EA Sports Cup final. Liam Buckley’s side are aiming to defend their title earned last September via a penalty shoot-out against Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park.

They too, Byrne reflected, will relish the afterthought of another FAI Cup run to match 2014’s dizzying heights which saw the club end a 53-year hoodoo to bring the cup back to Inchicore for a first time since 1961.

“It’s always nice to get a cup run”, he said. “Liam loves the FAI Cup and we’re in a cup final already with Limerick which will be a good game next month. Tonight was important to get through to the last eight and anything can happen now.”