Uefa Conference League (second round, first leg)
St Patrick’s Athletic 3
Vaduz 1
JAKE MULRANEY re-ignited both his and St Patrick’s Athletic season with a brace of cracking first-half goals that have the Inchicore side on the cusp of the third round of the Uefa Conference League.
A brilliant save from Joseph Anang and a third goal from skipper Joe Redmond were the other key ingredients in the mix which gave St Patrick’s their biggest win of the year to date.
This first-leg victory over the Liechtenstein side was just the tonic Stephen Kenny would have wanted following the tame surrender of their FAI Cup away to Derry City last Sunday.
Though they play in the Swiss second division, Vaduz, perennial Liechtenstein cup winners, have a notable record in Europe, beating Slovenian, Turkish and Austrian opponents to make the Conference League group stages two years ago.
And they weren’t short of experience here with three full internationals, including Nicolas Hasler and goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel with 94 and 64 caps for Liechtenstein respectively.
Lamenting the fact that the Saints had struggled to score goals in recent weeks, Kenny will have delighted in watching his side go 2-0 up inside 17 minutes.
The ex-Ireland manager, whose successor Heimir Hallgrimsson was an interested spectator in the directors’ box, stressed that everyone at the club was wounded by their tame exit in the cup and that this offered a big incentive to redeem themselves.
That they did from the start with the opening goal coming after six minutes.
Midfielder Romal Palmer’s surge forward resulted in his being hauled down by Denis Simani just outside the Vaduz penalty area.
Mulraney has a fine repertoire of free kicks in his locker and duly added to it here, lifting the ball up and over the wall to the back of the net off his trusted left foot.
𝗝𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗬 🚀 pic.twitter.com/f6SedItYWE
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 25, 2024
The 28-year-old had scored just twice this year, but soon doubled his season’s tally 11 minutes later.
Vaduz midfielder Lorik Emini gave the ball away cheaply with Jamie Lennon alert to the opening, feeding Palmer who in turn slipped it on to Mulraney.
Getting his head up, the winger took a controlling touch before cracking a shot that flashed past the poorly positioned Bushel at his near post.
A blistering start with Jake on the double to put us two to the good! pic.twitter.com/cxsCbick58
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 25, 2024
Vaduz were fortunate not to find themselves further behind on 26 minutes.
Buchel first saved a diving header from Lennon following a short corner before defender Liridon Berisha blocked a goalbound drive from Chris Forrester.
Vaduz were better from the resumption but struggled initially to create much in the final third as St Pat’s maintained their shape well.
It was the hour mark before St Pat’s threatened again, Zack Elbouzedi annoyed with himself in failing to make contact with a fine Mulraney cross with only the keeper to beat.
But poor defending from a corner undid St Pat’s as Vaduz got themselves back into the game on 65 minutes.
The visitors initially claimed for a handball after Simani got his head to a Dominik Schwizer corner.
In the scramble that followed, the ball broke for Danilo Del Toro whose deflected shot beat Anang.
But St Pat’s finished strongly and hit back with a fine goal on 77 minutes to restore their two-goal winning margin. Forrester whipped in a free kick from the left which was met by Redmond who planted a crisp header to the corner of the net.
Forrester x Redmond for our 3rd! pic.twitter.com/GUsYgRAjNz
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 25, 2024
In a frantic finish, Del Toro shot wide at one end, while a fine move by St Pat’s was thwarted when substitute Aaron Bolger’s header was brilliantly saved by Buchel.
St Patricks Athletic: Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin; Forrester (Nolan, 87), Lennon; Elbouzedi (Leavy, 70), Palmer (Bolger, 76), Mulraney (McClelland, 76); Melia (C. Kavanagh, 87).
FC Vaduz: Buchel; Beeli, Simani, Berisha, Krauchi (Stober, 86); Hasler (De Donno, 82), Hammerich, Emini (Eberhard, h-t); Del Toro, Cavegn (Navarro, 70), Schwizer.
Referee: Tom Owen (Wales).
Attendance: 2,388 (reduced capacity)