Graham Kelly celebrates FAI Cup win with St Patrick's Athletic
- A 3-1 victory over Bohemian FC awarded St Pat's with its second FAI Cup win in three years
St Patrick’s Athletic is celebrating after lifting the FAI Cup on 12th November, following a 3-1 triumph over Irish Premier Division rivals Bohemian FC. The victory marks St Pat’s second FAI cup win in three years.
The Inchicore side — managed by former Rangers and Dundee United striker Jon Daly — rebounded after an early penalty from striker Jonathan Afolabi put Bohemian up 1-0 less than ten minutes into the match.
A header from Mark Doyle delivered an equaliser for St Pat’s in the 23rd minute, then a 47th-minute own goal from Bohemians defender Krystian Nowak lifted Daly’s squad to a 2-1 advantage. The final goal of the game came in the 86th minute and was scored by 19-year-old St Pat’s forward Tommy Lonergan, who had come on as a substitute.
Football Careers client Graham Kelly — who holds the role of First Team Coach at St Patrick’s — was amongst those celebrating in Dublin as the side claimed its fifth FAI Cup win.
Kelly began his coaching journey in 1995 at St Joseph’s Boys FC, a leading schoolboy football setup that has produced several footballers who have achieved call-ups to Ireland’s national team and secured contracts with English Premier League clubs.
After nineteen years at Dublin-based St Joseph’s, Kelly moved on to a new challenge with League of Ireland First Division outfit Bray Wanderers. After joining as U17 and U19 manager, the UEFA Pro Licence holder progressed to working with the club’s first team, initially as an assistant coach and then as interim manager.
In 2019, Kelly took up the role of first-team manager at DLR Waves, who play in the Women’s Premier Division in Ireland. Following a successful tenure of more than four years at the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown club, the skilled coach was invited to lead the women’s football team at University College Dublin (UCD).
After almost two years at UCD, Kelly left to join St Patrick’s Athletic, who are now five-time FAI Cup winners. The victory comes on the heels of an impressive third-place finish in 2023’s Irish Premier Division table for St Pat’s, who will hope to maintain their momentum and continue their success in 2024.