Pat's boss Jon Daly salutes young guns integral to club's FAI Cup triumph

Jon Daly praised his young St Patrick’s Athletic team for holding their nerve to overcome an early deficit to lift the FAI Cup.

The record attendance for the Blue Riband held since 1945 when 41,238 saw Shamrock Rovers beat Bohemians was bettered by 2,657 on a throbbing day at Aviva Stadium.

Bohs were again involved, chasing their first FAI Cup since 2008, but manager Declan Devine bemoaned their inability to use Jonathan Afolabi’s ninth-minute breakthrough from the penalty spot as a springboard for success.

His warnings about Mark Doyle’s propensity for connecting with crosses wasn’t heeded for the equaliser and they were again caught out from a Jake Mulraney inswinger for the own-goal Krystian Nowak that gave the Saints a 2-1 initiative two minutes after the restart. 

With the Gypsies throwing bodies forward searching to force extra-time, substitute Thomas Lonergan took advantage by haring away and adding a third with three minutes left.

The victors used seven players under the age of 21 in their team, including four teenagers.

One of those, 16-year-old Mason Melia, became the youngest-ever Cup finalist, albeit Daly was hesitant about introducing the Manchester City target as early as 57 minutes.

“I don't necessarily see it as risks as I see them every day and the way they train and the way they have grown over the season,” said Daly about the youthful presence in his artillery.

“We put Mason on first and I have seen him change physically and characteristically around the group.

“I actually wasn't going to make that change first. When Mark Doyle was down injured, I was talking to Anto Breslin about what I was going to do. I said it was probably too early for Mason but Anto looked at me like I had 10 heads and