GOAL: Mason Melia converts the penalty on his 16th birthday! What a way to mark it!

PENALTY: St. Pats get a penalty!

SAVE: Conor Carty with a curling effort low which Sheppard does excellent to save.

SUB: Cameron Elliot is replaced by Daniel Kelly.

ADDED TIME: Six added minutes.

YELLOW Mark Doyle is given a yellow card.

SHOT: Alfie Lewis picks the ball up on the edge of the area but his low effort goes wide.

SUB: Double change for Dundalk as Lewis comes on for Doyle and O'Kane replaces Horgan

SUB: Double change for Pat's as Mason Melia and Kian Leavy come in for Forrester and Mulraney

SECOND YELLOW: Robbie Benson with a challenge that the referee deemed too harsh and he is given his second yellow and is sent off.

LAST TEN: Will Pats hold out or will there be late drama, this could be a grandstand finish here.

GOAL: Well now here we go as they say! Davies slipped in a simple ball in behind Norman for Daniel Kelly to race onto and slip past Lyness and Dundalk pull one back

YELLOW: Conor Carty is booked

Double change for Pat's as Mark Doyle is on for McClelland and Conor Carty is on for Lonergan

Double sub for Dundalk as Sam Durrant is on for Martin and Connor Malley is on for Yli-Kokko.

YELLOW: Robbie Benson is booked for a foul on Sam Curtis.

TOMMY VS DUNDALK: That was Tommy Lonergan's 4th career goal against Dundalk to go along with the 2 he managed in UCD's 3-2 win over the Lilywhites in the UCD Bowl last September

GOAL: A long ball once again and Tommy Lonergan breaks free of the tussle with Greg Sloggett and he lobs it over Sheppard and it's 2-0 to the Saints!

YELLOW: Hayden Muller is given a yellow card for pulling back Lonergan back en route to goal. The free kick just goes wide of the near post.

BEHIND: Dundalk have now fallen behind in 20 of their 30 league games so far this season (24 times in 38 matches in all competitions). Shepperd, who was poor for the goal, has now conceded 10 more in the league than he conceded in the whole of last season

GOAL: Muller is dispossesed and Tommy Lonergan breaks free and his low effort flashes across the face of goal and Mulraney steers it into the back of the net. That goal is massive for the race of Europe.

SECOND HALF: We are back underway at the second half.

HALF TIME: Even at Richmond Park as the best chance fell to the the visitors with Daniel Kelly forcing a clever save from Dean Lyness. All to play for in the second half.

ADDED TIME: Two added minutes here at Richmond Park.

SAVE: What a chance for Dundalk - Pat Hoban's cut back to Daniel Kelly forces a clever save from Dean Lyness to push it behind for a corner.

BLOCK: Robbie Benson could not get up after making an inital good first tackle and a cross from Jason McClelland to Forrester sees the ball blocked down by Yli Kokko to null the threat of the Saints attacker.

END TO END: This game is really being played down the wings of this Richmond Park pitch, Dundalk are getting plenty of joy down the wings and St Pats down the right is where they are getting some sights on goal. You will feel a set piece could be the key to unlocking this game.

EVEN STEVENS: Both Dundalk and Pats are at evens at the moment , its a real tussle between the two sides as this half has worn on. It looks as if Dundalk are here for the fight.

SLOGGETT: Jake Mulraney breaks down the right and cuts in and Greg Sloggett breaks up the attacking play with a well positioned block and he clears the ball for Dundalk to attack.

SUB: It looks as if Carl Axel Sjöberg night is over with an injury and he is replaced by David Norman.

YELLOW: For a challenge - Archie Davies get a yellow card.

CHANCE: Another set of crosses into the Pats area and Yli Kokko's cross saw both Hoban and Kelly attack it and both can't get a vital connection. A positive start for the Lilywhites.

HORGAN: Daryl Horgan with an excellent cross into the area that is sent behind for a corner, Davies cross to the back post is met by Kelly who recycles the ball and the intended target for Hoban is overhit.

CHANCE: Jake Mulraney sends in a dangerous cross and it looked as if Pats were ready to pounce only for the ball to be cleared. Despite only two recognised defenders on the pitch tonight, Dundalk holding firm thus far.

OFFSIDE: Chris Forrester does have the ball in the net but he is in an offside position as he went on his run just a few second early and the goal is marked off.

CORNER: A set piece from Daryl Horgan causes a lot of issues at the back post but the ball evades an attacking Dundalk player.

SHOT: Daniel Kelly recieves the ball from the left by Daryl Horgan with his shot/cross doing little to danger the Pats defence but the first shot on anger goes to the away side.

KICK OFF: We are underway in Richmond Park - St Patricks Athletic kick us off.

ARRIVALS: The teams are out on the pitch - The Saints in red and Dundalk in the blue third kit for tonights match.

100 NOT OUT: Robbie Benson starts his 100th league game in Dundalk colours tonight. His first league start for the club came more than 7 years ago in a 2-0 win away to Bohemians at Dalymount Park on April 29th 2016 – a game in which Daryl Horgan’s opener was added to by a Derek Prendergast OG in the 2nd half

REF WATCH: Tonight’s referee is Damien MacGraith, who will be assisted by Michelle O’Neill and Shane O’Brien with Gavin Colfer the fourth official. The Mayo man takes charge of a Dundalk match for the second league game running having awarded penalties at both ends in the Lilywhites’ 3-1 defeat to Derry City at Oriel Park three weeks ago.

SAINTS: St Pat’s have the second best home record in the division after Shamrock Rovers, who have played a game more. They have won 8, drawn 3 and lost 3 of their 14 matches at Richmond Park for a total of 27 points. They have conceded just 9 goals at home with only Derry (8) conceding less. Their 27 scored is one less at home than Dundalk, who have played a game more.

SAINTS: St Pat’s have lost just 2 of their last 13 matches, including the 2-1 defeat away to Shelbourne last time out. They won 8 of those games, drawing 3, including the 1-1 draw away to Dundalk on June 26th. Their run includes 11 wins from their last 16 in all competitions when the FAI Cup is factored in.

HEAD TO HEAD: Dundalk haven’t won at Richmond Park since May 2021 when they were 2-0 winners against Stephen O’Donnell’s St Pat’s when Jim Magilton was in charge. Since then they have made five visits to the Inchicore venue, losing three and drawing two.

HEAD TO HEAD: While Dundalk were 5-0 winners in the first meeting between the sides this season at Oriel Park back in March, the Lilywhites have won just 3 of the last 14 meetings with Pat’s. There were 6 draws and 5 defeats in that period also, including the 2-1 loss at Oriel Park last October – the side’s only home defeat of 2022 – and the 2-1 defeat at Richmond Park in May.

HEAD TO HEAD: It’s the 234th meeting between Dundalk and St Patrick’s Athletic this evening. Dundalk have won 97, drawn 56 and lost 80 of the previous 233 meetings. It’s league meeting number 163 between the pair tonight. Dundalk have won 61, drawn 47 and lost 54.

DALY: Jon Daly’s first game as full-time manager of St Pat’s was against Dundalk four months ago tomorrow on May 26th when his side won 2-1 at Richmond Park courtesy of Conor Carty’s 79th minute strike after Jake Mulraney had been sent-off.

O'DONNELL: Tonight is Stephen O’Donnell’s 8th time managing against St Pat’s – a club where he picked up his biggest victory in management by landing the 2021 FAI Cup for the Inchicore club. He has won 2, drew 3 and lost 2 but he has yet to win at Richmond Park since leaving here for Dundalk. His biggest victory as Dundalk boss came against the Inchicore club in their first meeting of this season on March 3rd when the Lilywhites were 5-0 winners at Oriel Park.

TEAM NEWS: Stephen O'Donnell has made four changes to the side which lost 4-0 in Galway last week with Greg Sloggett, Robbie Benson, Paul Doyle and John Martin coming in for Brownlie, Leahy, Malley and Durrant.

Good Evening from FinalWhistle HQ - Ciaran Callan here to bring you all the actions as the Saints take on the Lilywhites in Richmond Park.