NK Rijeka - 3 St Patrick's Ath - 2:With two away goals in credit, St Patrick's Atheltic will remain quietly confident they can overturn a one-goal deficit in Sunday's second leg at Richmond Park and get through to the second round of the InterToto Cup.
Two strikes inside the last minute by Rijeka substitute Sandro Klic deprived them of a win in the 30 degree heat of the Adriatic coast on Saturday evening. Goals from midfielder Paul Osam and striker Ger McCarthy twice had St Patrick's in the lead before Klic's late intervention.
Osam headed St Patrick's in front from Martin Russell's corner a minute before half-time. Rijeka rallied from the start of the second half and were level within seven minutes when Goran Vincetic scored from Mate Brajkovic's cross.
St Patrick's, playing with five across midfield, caught Rijeka on the break to regain the lead on 78 minutes when lone striker Ger McCarthy outpaced the home defence. Klic equalised on 89 minutes and then struck the winner in beating Shay Kelly with a terrific shot from outside the area.
NK RIJEKA: Tafra, Skocibusic, Weiss, Ivancic, Vincetic, G. Brajkovic, Mestrovic (Klic 71), Caval, Shkembi, Racki (Modric 90), M. Brajkovic (Mikac 86).
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: S Kelly; Croly, Maguire, Foley, Burke; Marney (Holt 86), Osam, Mbabazi (Donnelly 55), Griffin, Russell; McCarthy.
