Having welcomed his first child into the world earlier in the day, Stephen O’Donnell was winning no matter what transpired here in Tallaght.
But the rookie boss parked his new dad duties for a few hours at least and returned to the dugout after his morning to remember.
Yet although his Saints caused Shamrock Rovers enough early problems to pinch this derby prize, they were hanging on by their fingernails at the finish.
Were it not for goalkeeper Brendan Clarke’s inspired performance between the posts, the visitors would have traipsed back across the city without any reward at all.
Clarke made a slew of brilliant second-half interventions to thwart Graham Burke, Lee Grace and Sean Kavanagh, twice.
While Rovers will feel frustrated with the point, in truth they only got motoring in the second-half having played second best until then.
Their focus now shifts to Oriel Park on Monday where a defeat to Dundalk will see the Lilywhites crowned champions again.
But bearing in mind Dundalk’s sizeable 16 goal advantage over the Hoops, even a point would effectively seal another crown.
What stock Stephen Bradley places in the game remains to be seen, considering the Hoops’ seismic FAI Cup semi-final away to Bohs four days later.
St Pat’s gaffer O’Donnell had made a solid start to life in management with a win and a draw in his first two games, although they came against the bottom two sides.
But his Saints started with purpose here and were the better side until the Hoops eventually came around to the task.
Ian Bermingham’s early penalty appeals certainly looked ambitious as he appeared to hit the deck before contact from covering defender Ethan Boyle.
But it was a sign of things to come for the visitors who worked goalkeeper Alan Mannus twice in quick succession.
First, the former Northern Ireland international pushed a Lee Desmond drive to safety at full stretch.
And soon after he showed magnificent reflexes to strong arm a fierce Kevin Toner drive over his bar.
Bradley cut an agitated figure on the touchline, barking orders and demanding more of his players.
But that scare from the Saints was the wake-up call Rovers needed and they went close when Aaron Greene flashed a shot across the face of goal from a Burke shot.
St Pat’s lost Rhys McCabe to a hamstring injury six minutes before the break, with Chris Forrester replacing him.
But Rovers closed out the half strongly, with Burke forcing Clarke into the first of his catalogue of saves on the stroke of half-time.
And the Saints keeper was at it again early in the second-half, first smothering a Kavanagh effort from a cross-field Jack Byrne cross.
Anything Mannus could do, Clarke could do better and he then kept out a Lee Grace header at point blank range.
In the scramble that ensued, Grace felt he had legitimate grounds for a penalty with Cian Coleman appearing to handle but ref Rob Harvey was having none of it.
And Clarke continued to save the Saints as he denied Kavanagh again late on while Pico Lopes flashed an injury-time drive a yard wide of the keeper’s post.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Lafferty Lopes, Grace; Boyle, Bolger (O’Neill 71), Watts (McEneff 61), S Kavanagh; Byrne, Burke; Greene (Oluwa 76)
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: B Clarke; Webster, Kelly, Toner; D Clarke, Coleman, Desmond, Bermingham (Doona 71); McCabe (Forrester 39), Markey (MccAuley 81); Drennan
Referee: R Harvey (Dublin)
