FAI Cup final: St Patrick’s Athletic come from behind to beat Bohemians 3-1

St Patrick’s Athletic lifted the FAI Cup as they came back from a goal down to beat Bohemians 3-1 in front of a record crowd at the Aviva Stadium.

An own goal from Krystian Nowak put St Pat’s ahead and Tommy Longer clinched the club’s fifth FAI Cup success with a third in the 86th minute.

The official attendance of 43,811 beats the previous record of 41,238 in 1945.

Afolabi won and converted the spot-kick which put Declan Devine’s side ahead after nine minutes, as he was crushed in the box by Anthony Breslin.

The striker showed great composure to coolly tuck home his 20th goal of the season.

St Pat’s, who finished third in the Premier Division, leveled as Doyle glanced home a close-range header from Jake Mulraney’s teasing free-kick.

They went ahead two minutes after the break and Mulraney was again the provider, curling in another dangerous free-kick which was met by captain Joe Redmond and entertained into his own net by Nowak.

Bohs pushed hard for an equalizer, but squandered a number of good opportunities.

Jordan Flores was thwarted by a low save from Dean Lyness, with Afolabi heading off target from a corner and then blazing an effort over from Danny Grant’s low cutback.

Flores also clipped the post with a free-kick, but Bohs tired in their efforts to get back into the game and St Pat’s capitalized with four minutes left.

Substitute Lonergan dispossessed Flores high up the pitch before curling the ball past James Talbot into the far corner to seal a second FAI Cup success in three years for the Saints.

With Jon Daley’s side having already qualified for Europe following their third-place finish, Shelbourne will claim the final Europa Conference League place.