BOHEMIANS were sporting their new Oasis shirt but their old Dublin Bus kit would have been more appropriate.
Because having waited ages for one draw, two came along at once. A case of win or bussed?
Bohs did not share the spoils once in their first 21 games of the season, coming out on top 12 times and being defeated in the other nine.
But, just as winning and losing can become habits, so, too, it seems, can drawing.
A week ago, an injury-time equaliser from Jamie Clarke saw them take a point against Sligo Rovers.
There were no goals here which was remarkable given St Pat’s hit the woodwork, had a goal for Simon Power scrubbed for offside when he was on and had an effort cleared off the line.
But they could also have lost it because, after all that, Dayle Rooney shaved the outside of the upright and both James Clarke and Colm Whelan went close at the death.
It is now six games without a win for St Pat’s, hardly ideal ahead of their Conference League clash against Hegelmann Litauen here on Thursday but, then again, Europe sparked an upturn in domestic form last year.
The last time these sides met, at Dalymount Park 10 weeks ago, St Pat’s were leading in the final minute and contrived to lose 2-1.
The man who scored the stoppage-time winner that night, Sean Grehan, has since left but Bohs handed a debut here to an arrival earlier this week, Douglas James-Taylor.
The Englishman arrived on a free transfer from Walsall after a successful year-long loan with the Saddlers’ sister club Drogheda United.
And, although he did not see much of the ball in the first half, he did have one opportunity to instantly endear himself to the Gypsies’ faithful.
From Liam Smith’s throw-in, James Clarke outmuscled Barry Baggley, allowing him to lay the ball off to the striker but his first-time effort was just over the bar.
That came at a time when St Pat’s had the upper hand, although it was the visitors who had started the brighter of the two teams in the opening exchanges.
Ross Tierney was picked out after getting beyond the St Pat’s defence from a free-kick but – when he drilled the ball across the face of goal – it was knocked behind for a corner.
St Pat’s weathered that early storm and began to get a grip on the game and, for a moment, it looked as though Aidan Keena had gotten away from Rob Cornwall to set himself up for a one-v-one with Kacper Chorazka.
But the centre-half did enough to put his opponent off with the ball spinning loose to Niall Morahan to clear as the striker appealed more in hope than expectation for a penalty.
Later, Keena picked out Kian Leavy with a clever clipped pass but he was quickly crowded out in the box.
Jake Mulraney had one effort comfortably saved by Chorazka but Bohs needed the woodwork to save them in stoppage time following a move involving Mulraney.
As some St Pat’s fans berated him for not trying to get past his man he instead pulled the ball back to Ryan McLaughlin.
The full-back’s deep cross was only partially cleared by Smith with the ball falling to Jason McClelland with a shot which rattled the crossbar.
Soon after the restart, Power fired home but after the whistle had sounded when he had been incorrectly flagged for offside.
Then, Leavy skipped his way through the Bohs defence and fired towards the far corner before Flores made a timely intervention.
At the other end, the underworked Joseph Anang was happy to see Rooney’s curler glance the outside rather than the inside of the post.
And he was even more relieved when a free out was awarded when Clarke nicked the ball from his grasp, although Axel Sjoberg had reacted well to clear up before Whelan was just off target with a header from Tierney’s cross.
SUN STAR MAN: Kian Leavy (St Pat’s)
ST PAT’S: Anang 6; McLaughlin 7 (Sjoberg 75, 6), Redmond 7, Grivosti 7, McClelland 7; Baggley 6 (Forrester 81, 4), Lennon 7; Mulraney 6 (Elbouzedi 81, 4), Leavy 7 (Kavanagh 75, 4), Power 6; Keena 6 (Melia 61, 5).
BOHS: Chorazka 7; Smith 6 (Mountney 71, 5), Morahan 6, Cornwall 6, Flores 7; McDonnell 6 (Buckley 71, 5), Devoy 7; Clarke 7, Tierney 7, Rooney; 7 James-Taylor 6 (Whelan 71,6).
REFEREE: R Hennessy (Clare) 6
