Soccer

Controlled St Pat’s advance in Conference League but Shelbourne bow out

Honourable second-leg draw with FC Zurich not enough for Damien Duff’s side

St Patrick’s Athletic’s Romal Palmer celebrates scoring their second goal in Thursday's second leg at Vaduz. Photograph: Michael Zanghellini/Inpho
St Patrick’s Athletic’s Romal Palmer celebrates scoring their second goal in Thursday's second leg at Vaduz. Photograph: Michael Zanghellini/Inpho
Thu Aug 01 2024 - 21:07
FC Vaduz 2 St Patrick’s Athletic 2

(St Patrick’s won 5-3 on aggregate)

Clinically finished first goals for the club from Zach Elbouzedi and Romal Palmer secured St Patrick’s Athletic’s passage to the third round of the Conference League following a tactically controlled performance in the sapping heat of Liechtenstein.

Advancing sets up a clash against Azeri side FC Sabah, who beat Maccabi Haifa in an amazing second leg in Baku. The Israeli side overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit by scoring six times to make it 6-6 on aggregate and force extra-time, only to lose 3-2 in the penalty shoot-out.

St Patrick’s, who have moved next week’s “home” leg to Tallaght Stadium, are now guaranteed a minimum of €900,000 in Uefa prize money.

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Roared on by up to 350 travelling fans and unchanged from last week, St Pat’s survived an early let-off in Liechtenstein when Vaduz captain Nicolas Hasler shot wide when he should have hit the target.

But the Dubliners settled well. Jake Mulraney, who scored a stunning free kick as part of a brace in the first leg, worked goalkeeper Leon Schaffran with a free kick from distance after Mason Melia was fouled by Sandro Wieser.

A foul at the other end then proved costly for St Pat’s, as they fell behind on the night on 22 minutes.

A clumsy challenge inside the area by Axel Sjoberg brought Lorik Emini to ground. And though Joseph Anang got a hand to Fabrizio Cavegn’s penalty, the ball squirmed under him to the net.

St Pat’s continued to live dangerously as they were cut open again on 25 minutes, Javier Navarro’s shot coming back off Anang’s left-hand post.

But with their first constructive attack of the game St Pat’s equalised with a superb goal on 28 minutes.

Wingers Mulraney and Elbouzedi worked the oracle, the former getting to the end line down the left to pull the ball back for the latter to rifle a rising left-foot shot to the net.

A fine run and shot from Mulraney worked home keeper Schaffran early in the second half with Tom Grivosti firing wide from the resulting corner as St Pat’s got the upper hand.

Chasing the tie, Vaduz went back ahead on the night in the 75th minute, a low drive from Cavegn deflecting past Ananag.

But St Pat’s sealed their overall victory on 81 minutes. Terrific footwork from substitute Kian Leavy on the right set up midfielder Palmer, who finished calmly from 10 yards.

FC Vaduz: Schaffran; Beeli (Martens, 72), Simani, Berisha, N. Hasler (Hammerich, 76); Del Toro, Weiser, Emini (Eberhard, 78); Cavegn, Navarro (De Donno, 67), Schwiser.

St Patricks Athletic: Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin; Lennon; Palmer (McClelland, 85), Forrester (Bolger, 50); Elbouzedi (Leavy, 63), Melia (C. Kavanagh, 85), Mulraney (Kazeem, 63).

Referee: Ashot Ghaltakhchyan (Armenia)

Shelbourne 0 FC Zurich 0

(Zurich win 3-0 on aggregate)

As expected following last week’s sobering 3-0 first-leg defeat in Switzerland, Shelbourne bowed out of Europe amid a frenzied atmosphere at Tolka Park.

But there was redemption of sorts on the night as Damien Duff’s side held their own in producing a controlled performance that just lacked a clinical edge in front of goal.

Though Shelbourne were the better side for spells of the first half in which they created several chances, Zurich showed their quality in the latter stages of the second as Duff’s side had to defend, and that they did so superbly, in what was an entertaining scoreless draw.

Doubtless with Monday’s top-of-the-table league clash with Derry City in mind, Duff made five changes from last week, with skipper Mark Coyle and JJ Lunney chief among those dropped to the bench.

Zurich arrived in Drumcondra backed by a vociferous support of some 350 fans, who had walked to the ground under a Garda escort from O’Connell Street.

While Duff had duly acknowledged that Zurich were very good in that first leg, he was disappointed with the performance of his side whose mistakes were ruthlessly punished.

Shelbourne started far better here, forcing the first corner of the game inside the second minute and the first attack of note 12 minutes later.

Centre-back Paddy Barrett launched a free kick from halfway that found winger Will Jarvis in space on the left. He strode forward but sent a hurried shot wide.

Growing in confidence as the game wore on, Shelbourne came close again on the half hour, Matty Smith just not able to get a touch to Ali Coote’s low ball across the face of the Zurich goal.

Minutes later a Coote corner found Barrett, whose volley flashed past a post.

Excellent defending then prevented Shelbourne getting some reward for their first-half display in added time.

Impressive midfielder John O’Sullivan whipped over a cross from the right, which Nikola Katic cleared off the head of John Martin just three yards from goal.

Zurich showed far more purpose and promise after the resumption, Ifeanyi Onyedika firing wide early on.

Half-time substitute Sam Bone then thwarted Juan Jose Perea with a vital block after the striker got turned in the area to shoot.

With a triple substitution of Liam Burt, Rayhaan Tulloch and Harry Wood introduced just after the hour, Shelbourne admirably played their way back into the game.

But they needed the intervention of the frame of Conor Kearns’ goal to keep Zurich out in the chance of the game on 76 minutes.

Bledian Krasniqi’s corner reached Mariano Gomez whose instep volley came back off the corner of the crossbar and a post.

Kearns then showed safe hands when comfortably holding shots from Krasniqi and Antonio Marchesano before producing the save of the night to deny Emmanuel Umeh.

Evan Caffrey added to that with a goal-saving challenge in making a block tackle on former Ireland under-21 international Armstrong Okoflex in the dying minutes.

Shelbourne: Kearns; Wilson, Barrett, Griffin (Bone, h-t), Ledwidge; Coote (Lunney, 72), O’Sullivan (Burt, 63; Smith, Caffrey, Jarvis (Tulloch, 63,); Martin (Wood, 63)

FC Zurich: Brecher; Katic, Gomez, Kryeziu, Wallner; Krasniqi, Onyedika (Tsawa, 72), Marchesano, Chouiar (Conde, h-t); Umeh (Okoflex, 81) Perea (Okita, 81).

Referee: Robertas Valikonis (Lithuania).