UEFA Conference League third qualifying round, second leg
Sabah FK 0
St Patrick’s Athletic 1
St Patrick’s Athletic win 2-0 on aggregate
POISE, PRECISION AND just a little bit jammy when it mattered.
That tells the story of St Patrick’s Athletic’s goal in this away leg but, over the course of 180 minutes against Sabah FK, Stephen Kenny’s side were a cut above and a class apart.
The play-off stage is next and either FC Iberia of Georgia or Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir will be waiting.
A guaranteed €1.3 million prize money has been secured but a feeling like this for the Saints’ faithful is priceless.
Two 1-0 victories – this one secured thanks to Zach Elbouzedi’s scrappy, deflected header – secured their passage.
Once Sabah were reduced to 10 men before the half-hour mark it was almost disconcerting just how comfortable and in control St Pat’s were.
Romal Palmer was excellent again, so too Jamie Lennon and Chris Forrester alongside him in the middle. Winger Jake Mulraney set up the goal again and this time it was Elbouzedi on the other side who pounced.
This was Kenny’s 50th European game as a club boss and it was a fitting way to mark the milestone. There will be at least two more over the horizon.
The first 10 minutes had a couple of worrying moments that were of Joseph Anang’s own doing but other than that this was a display of total control.
Two balls into the area caused more concern than needs be with a low cross from the left misjudged by the St Pat’s goalkeeper. The ball somehow spluttered through his hands as he dove to collect and needed to be cleared from the six-yard box to avoid early disaster.
Anang was under somewhat more pressure when he rose with a Sabah opponent in the box to claim a ball in the air. There was no foul but, again, the former West Ham United youngster was nervy and had to scramble back towards his line to stop an own goal.
Sabah were growing in confidence that they could draw level and push clear with Kaheem Parris trying his luck with two shots within 60 seconds. The first one was wild and wide from 25 yards, the second from the edge of the area also off target but the result of the kind of link-up play around the box that would be required to create dangerous openings.
There were 25 minutes gone and Pat’s were doing a relatively good job of containment.
Then came a gamechanger.
A sloppy pass from midfielder Abdulakh Khaibulaev left centre back Soufiane Chakla short and Romal Palmer anticipated to nick the ball through on goal.
The Morocco international knew he was beaten and brought the St Pat’s midfielder down with a raised leg as he stretched out. A straight red card was shown and, just like the game in Dublin, Sabah were down to 10 men.
This time there were only 27 minutes played – the one last week came eight minutes into the second half – and the scores were level on the night.
The home side had time to readjust.
Khaibulaev paid the price for his poor pass and was hooked on the half hour as Rahman Dashmadirov was brought on.
He made a telling introduction three minutes after the re-start when St Pat’s doubled their lead in the tie.
It was a move of patience and poise that had just the right amount of jamminess to finish it off.
Chris Forrester was excellent on the right flank, first to recognise that there was no need to play a cross into the box despite the space opening up. He retained possession, moved the ball a few yards back to the advancing Joe Redmond and Pat’s had a new angle of attack.
Space remained down that right side where Mulraney eventually took over. He had switched to that flank from the left, stood up his marker and played a cross into the six-yard box that was met by Elbouzedi.
His header deflected off Dashmadirov and into the net, although Mason Melia was also lurking and could possibly have got a touch.
UEFA gave it to Elbouzedi and, much like the first leg when Pat’s had the lead with a man advantage, Sabah wilted in the face of the challenge from that point on.
Anang didn’t have a save to make and Pat’s were able to be composed enough in possession to give the hosts long spells of chasing shadows.
At the final whistle some of the home players dropped to their knees, but they had waved the white flag long before having been worn down and beaten by the superior side.
It was 2009 the last time St Pat’s played in a European play-off, beaten by Steau Bucharest in the Europa League.
New memories are being made.
Sabah FK: Imanov; Seydiyev, Chakla, Irazabal, Letic; Khaibulaev (Dashdamirov 30), Sekidika (Seyidov 78), Camalov (captain) (Nuriiev 78); Parris (Alaskarov 58), Safranko (Aliyev 58), Mickels.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Sjoberg, Grivosti, Redmond (captain), Breslin; Elbouzedi (McClelland 90), Lennon, Forrester (Bolger 73), Palmer (Kazeem 90), Mulraney (Leavy 78); Melia (Keena 73).
Referee: M Birsan (ROU).
