St Patrick's Athletic 0
Sligo Rovers 3
Sligo Rovers secured European football for another season and remain in the hunt for second place as they outthought an off-colour St Patrick's Athletic side on Friday night.
First-half goals from Ryan De Vries and Johnny Kenny, his 11th of the season, sent the Bit o' Red on their way before Adam McDonnell's free kick sealed a deserved win in injury time.
Liam Buckley gave the Saints memories to last a lifetime, including two titles and a first FAI Cup win in 53 years, over two spells at Richmond Park but he was very much the party-pooper on this occasion.
A point would have been enough to ensure Stephen O'Donnell's side couldn't be caught in second place but they trailed from the 11th minute and never looked like getting back into it.
The Athletic had the majority of possession on a bitterly cold evening in Inchicore but it was Sligo who had the cutting edge as they picked off a well-refreshed Saints team at will.
O'Donnell made six changes from the rotated line-up that gave up a two-goal lead against Bohemians here on Monday, with Lee Desmond, Darragh Burns and Robbie Benson all returning.
Sligo made just one change from the side that only barely pipped relegated Longford Town at home the same night, with Mark Byrne coming in for Walter Figueira.
Rotation notwithstanding, Sligo looked the fresher side from the word go and De Vries proved the point inside 11 minutes when he picked off an uncharacteristically loose pass from Jamie Lennon.
The New Zealand international still had plenty to do but he needed no invitation to open his body and curl a wonderful effort from 25 yards into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Vitezslav Jaros.
Saints rallied in the minutes that followed, with Burns looking a particular danger cutting on from the right wing, but with space to move into he could only curl a shot straight at Ed McGinty.
The home side were starting to find their feet but Chris Forrester lost his at the vital moment when played in at the end of a slick passing move, and his shot was deflected behind.
Johnny Kenny, who signed a three-year deal during the week amid interest from Celtic, showed electric pace on the counter to breeze past Paddy Barrett and send a ball across goal, but nobody in a white shirt had kept up with play.
The 18-year-old wouldn't be denied four minutes before half time, although he needed three bites of the cherry before eventually forcing the ball home to double the lead.
His diving header at the back post was blocked, and a second header moments later was spilled by Liverpool loanee Jaros, and the Sligo native was sharp enough to get his boot first to the loose ball and stab home.
Saints boss Stephen O'Donnell reached for his Scotch at the break - introducing Edinburgh native Billy King and Dundee's Matty Smith for Alfie Lewis and Rónán Coughlan.
They had more of an attacking threat in the early part of the second half and had the ball in the net inside three minutes, only for Burns' tidy finish to be ruled out for offside.
Smith passed up a glorious chance as the ball looked poised to be slotted home, but he missed his kick completely, while Jamie Lennon at least forced a save from Ed McGinty.
Nehum Melvin-Lambert and Sam Bone entered for the final quarter as Saints went all-out attack, but Reading loanee Melvin-Lambert couldn't divert an Ian Bermingham cross on goal.
The Athletic finished the game with five strikers on the pitch and Benson and Forrester, who began the game in the forward line, holding the midfield but the more they pushed the more comfortable Sligo looked.
And they sealed the win as the clocked ticked past 90 minutes when captain Ian Bermingham cut down Andre Wright wide on the right, and got a booking for kicking the ball away in frustration.
He'd have plenty more to be annoyed about seconds later as Adam McDonnell's inswinging free kick was allowed to bounce all the way through and find the bottom corner with the aid of the post.
St Patrick's Athletic: Vitezslav Jaros; Jak Hickman (Sam Bone 66), Paddy Barrett (Jay McClelland 83), Lee Desmond, Ian Bermingham; Jamie Lennon (Nehum Melvin-Lambert 66), Alfie Lewis (Billy King 46), Robbie Benson; Darragh Burns, Chris Forrester, Rónán Coughlan (Matty Smith 46).
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Lewis Banks, Garry Buckley, John Mahon, Robbie McCourt; Greg Bolger (Niall Morahan 70), Adam McDonnell, Andre Wright; Mark Byrne (Colm Horgan 80), Ryan DeVries (Walter Figueira 87), Johnny Kenny (Romeo Parkes 80).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).
