Owolabi hammers home hat-trick to sink Bohs

If St Patrick's Athletic have problems, Tunde Owolabi isn't one, the Belgian blitzing Bohs with a hat-trick by the Camac that was all about the beauty of a precise, powerful shot.

This was a mad game played before 3,473 punters and far closer than the scoreline would imply, but Bohs had players who couldn't score while Saints had one who couldn't miss.

Moreover, Pat's boss Tim Clancy will be thrilled that 16-year-old Sam Curtis, hooked at the interval Friday in the defeat to Shelbourne here, started tonight and excelled.

The game began in glorious sunshine and moments later a shower, befitting a bizarre day of Dublin weather. One player largely unable to make his presence felt in a patchy Saints season so far, as he has not seen much game-time, is Owolabi; he belied that on just five minutes.

Ciaran Kelly committed to a clearance he made a mess of and that allowed the ex-Finn Harps striker edge towards the box's edge; he had at least one Saints player in a seemingly better position in the box but, full of confidence, Owolabi blasted into the bottom corner.

Liam Burt, who'd come into the Bohs side for the injured Kris Twardek, fizzed a shot at Joseph Anang on 12 minutes; he gathered at the second attempt, with both Promise Omochere and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe ready to pounce like vultures.

Moments later, Burt's corner was nearly turned in by Jordan Flores.

Bohs looked threatening, something of a tense edge among the home support, and Dawson Devoy volleyed wide at the back stick.

Anang then botched a clearance and looked edgy too as he tipped over a deflected Devoy strike, Saints boss Clancy exasperated.

It is hard to know how Bohs didn't equalise on 26 minutes. Another deflected Devoy shot hit the crossbar; Kelly's rebound prompted an