A Liam Murphy hat-trick helped Irvinestown Wanderers to their first league win in six games and their second win of the season. He was the stand out performer as the home side outclassed St Pat’s, who finished the game with ten men. The defeat leaves winless St Pat’s rooted to the foot of the table.

“We had our players back, like Liam Murphy and Chris O’Brien, and we are a different team with those sort of players in it,” said Wanderers manager Dermot McCann. “Liam Murphy was the difference on the day. This was the first game he played in four or five weeks and he absolutely destroyed them from the first whistle to the last whistle. We also had Gary Maguire and Rory Cassidy on the bench who couldn’t play because of gaelic commitments. Chris O’Brien was absolutely brilliant. He scored and he ran himself into the ground. Feargal Murphy didn’t have a save to make. We have had a few players back and we are a different team. We have been missing them but we had them back and we were very good from start to finish. We were in complete control and never lost it at any stage during the ninety minutes.”

Irvinestown had not scored more than one goal in a game since their second game of the campaign back in August but it took only twelve minutes to find the net against St. Pat’s. After piecing together several passes a through ball found Liam Murphy one on one with the goal keeper, and he coolly slotted the ball past him. Three minutes later they had a second and again it was Murphy applying the finishing touch, running on to a short corner and firing into the bottom corner of the net.

The goals kept coming for Wanderers, with Jack Keane next to get on the score sheet. Irvinestown worked the ball out to Christopher McMulkin on the right flank and he found Chris O’Brien who flicked it on to Keane, who volleyed into the corner. Chris O’Brien then turned from provider to goal scorer, beating two defenders before rifling the ball into the top corner. Liam Murphy completed a deserved hat-trick when St Pat’s failed to deal with a corner and the striker made no mistake from close range.

St Pat’s were then reduced to ten men before the highlight of the game came with the final goal. The visiting team were awarded a free kick just inside their own half, and Conor McAleer spotted the keeper at the edge of his penalty area and fired a 60 yard shot over his head and into the goal to make it 6-0.