Controversial penalty helps St Patrick's Athletic beat Sligo Rovers late on

Brandon Kavanagh scored a dramatic last-gasp penalty winner as St Patrick's Athletic twice came from behind to end Sligo Rovers' four-match winning run in highly controversial circumstances at Richmond Park.

With the game deep in added time, substitute Kavanagh launched a free kick into the Sligo area where St Pat’s Luke Turner fell backward to the ground in front of Sligo's Ellis Chapman who didn't appear to make any contact.

To the astonishment of Sligo players and their bench, referee Rob Hennessy pointed to the spot.

Such was the visitors' disgust that manager John Russell was shown a red card for dissent on the sideline.

Kavanagh, influential since coming on, sent Ed McGinty the wrong way from 12 yards with the game in its 100th minute.

The result ended Sligo's four-match winning run in the league to give St Pat’s manager Stephen Kenny only his third league win in 10.

The former Ireland manager made four changes from St Pat's big night in Liechtenstein on Thursday when progressing through to the third round of the Conference League against FC Vaduz.

Chief among them was the prodigal Keena who came in for his debut against the club he left as the league’s top scorer two years ago.

But it was Sligo who had the game's first real opening on 13 minutes when JR Wilson shaved the outside of a post with a free kick.

Seven minutes later, the visitors were in front from a cracking goal.

A loose pass from Jamie Lennon never found its intended target of Romal Palmer. Connor Malley pounced to stride forward and arrow a terrific drive past the despairing dive of Joseph Anang to the net.

If that was sloppy from St Pat’s, Sligo were equally poor defensively in conceding an equaliser within three minutes.

Al-Amin Kazeem and Keena worked the