Daly: Patience key for Europe-bound St Pat's

St Patrick's Athletic’s feint title hopes remain on life support, but manager Jon Daly was pleased his side stayed patient as European football was guaranteed with a 1-0 win over Sligo Rovers.

The Inchicore club remain three points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers – who they face on Friday – but even if results were to go their way, the goal difference required to leapfrog the champions makes it most improbable, with the holders 14 goals better off.

Kian Leavy’s first-half strike was the only goal of the game, as struggling Sligo frustrated the hosts, who were unable to carve out as many clear-cut chances as they would have liked.

The victory means that fourth-place Bohemians, who they will face in the FAI Cup final, cannot catch the Saints and thus European football is guaranteed at Richmond Park next season.

Daly felt that Sligo, who could still be caught by Cork City in the relegation play-off spot, came for the draw and stuck to the plan.

"They sat in and made it difficult," Daly told RTÉ Sport. "I felt we could have penetrated more with off-the-ball runs. Sligo were trying to flood the central areas, win it back and use Fabrice Hartmann’s pace on the counter. We got impatient at times."

Match-winner Leavy went close from distance in the opening minutes, and broke the deadlock 10 minutes before the interval when he cut inside from the left and, via a slight deflection, found the top corner with an unstoppable strike, his first for the Saints.

"Kian has come in and done really, really well. He’s been doing stuff like that in training constantly and I’m always on to him to gets shots away, so I’m delighted for him."

While the title remains a mathematical possibility, Daly says his side will try and do their bit, starting with