Clancy's St Pat's off to a flying start

This weekend St Patrick's Athletic manager Timmy Clancy can sit back and reflect on a job well done last night when his team kicked off their 2022 League of Ireland season in fine style.

As starts go Clancy could hardly have asked for better as his side defeated Damien Duff's Shelbourne 3-0 in last night's high-profile Premier Division game at Tolka Park.

Both sides sought to get the new League of Ireland season off to a winning start but it was Clancy's team who proved far more clinical with 19-year-old Darragh Burns, who grew up in Meath, scoring the opening goal of the game before a crowd of over 4,000.

Burns, who can play for Northern Ireland or the Republic and whose family live in Stamullen, is highly regarded and already St Pat's have turned out what were termed "derisory offers" for his services.

His potential was underlined last night in the way he curled a glorious left-footed shot beyond Shelbourne 'keeper Lewis Webb.

"Darragh cut inside and buries one from 20, 25 yards and it gets us a foothold in the game we were able to build on in the second-half," said Clancy after the contest was over.

Mark Doyle and Jason McClelland were also on target for the Saints who were unlucky not to add another goal or two to their final tally.

Trimman Clancy - who won the Meath Chronicle Outstanding Achievement Award in 2020 - took over from Stephen O'Donnell as manager of St Pat's after a very successful spell with Drogheda Utd.

St Pat's are expeccted to go far this season. There has been a huge change in player personnel at Inchicore over the close season.

One of those who survived the cull was midfielder James Forrester who was outstanding against Shels. Clancy has also signed Eoin Doyle from Bolton.

He has scored goals throughout his career that has included spells at a host of clubs including Sligo Rovers, Hibernians, Cardiff, Chesterfield, Preston North End, Swindon Town, Bradford and Bolton Wanderers.