Eoin Doyle on the double as Saints sink Harps

Eoin Doyle scored twice as St Patrick’s Athletic made it a double over Finn Harps this season with a deserved victory at Richmond Park.

Back-to-back wins keep Tim Clancy’s Saints third in the table. Harps, without a victory now in six, remain adrift in the relegation play-off place, second bottom.

Clancy made six changes from the side that came from behind to beat UCD last Monday, with midfielder Ben McCormack rewarded with his first start of the campaign after making a big impact off the bench in that 2-1 win.

But it was Harps, with four changes from their home defeat to Sligo Rovers on Monday, who started on the front foot, winning a corner, that came to nothing, inside the opening 20 seconds.

It wasn’t long before the visitors had some frantic defending to do, though, as Darragh Burns and Billy King carved them open down the inside-right channel with Ethan Boyle having to hack clear just yards from his goal line as Doyle lurked.

Mark McGinley then made a superb save on nine minutes to palm away McCormack’s drive after King picked him out in a pocket of space in the box.

A flowing move opened Harps up again seven minutes later.