And although they experienced a few more hiccups, the 5-3 aggregate result was a fair reflection of their superiority over two legs.
Advertisement
While admitting the match “wasn’t pretty” as Pat’s dug deep to keep their opponents at bay, Elbouzedi was delighted to score a first goal for the club, which could hardly have come at a more optimal moment.
Moreover, it is just over two weeks since it was announced that Elbouzedi was signing for Pat’s.
His first start for the club came in the home leg against the Liechtenstein-based side.
Elbouzedi’s career of late has been stop-start. Early spells as a youngster with West Brom and Inverness Caledonian Thistle didn’t work out. It took a move back to Waterford in 2019 to remind people of his prowess.
That excellent standalone League of Ireland season was followed by brief, underwhelming spells at Lincoln City and Bolton Wanderers where chances to impress were limited.
A transfer to Sweden initially served the Dubliner well. But most of his 63 appearances for Allsvenskan side AIK came in his first two seasons before falling out of favour.
Elbouzedi then made 17 appearances on loan at a Swindon Town side that finished 19th in League Two last season before Pat’s came calling.
Kenny knows Elbouzedi well from his time as Ireland U21 manager and their mutual respect for one another is palpable.
One of the reasons the Malahide United graduate came to the club was the opportunity to play European football; another was Kenny.
“I had a pretty successful spell with him at the 21s,” Elbouzedi says of Kenny. “Every game I was fit for him I played and I was in every camp he was involved in. I said it before — I felt a belief in him from the start when I was with the 21s and when I met him again a few weeks before he joined.
“I still feel that belief. I’ve had a difficult time the last couple of years with managers that didn’t really believe in me or give me the chance and that’s all I need. I need a manager that believes in me and then I can play my best football. Having him here is massive because I know that under him I can succeed and play my best football.”
Perhaps Kenny’s best attribute as a manager working for over a quarter of a century has been the ability to get the best out of young players who have been written off or underestimated by people in the game.
Elbouzedi and many others in the Pat’s squad fit these criteria. This European run has been a welcome distraction from a sub-par domestic season but they will need another sterling display to overcome Azerbaijani side Sabah, who knocked out Maccabi Haifa last night on penalties after a crazy 6-6 aggregate draw.
Uefa deem Richmond Park ineligible to host games in this upcoming round, so Tallaght Stadium — where Kenny has some fond memories from his time with Dundalk and Ireland U21s — is set to be the venue for the home leg of the tie.
The winger already has some sense of what to expect, given that he knows one of the opposition’s players, Vincent Thill, from their time together at AIK.
“They are a high-level team, people might think because they are from Azerbaijan it might be easy but it won’t be, they have a lot of good quality players. I know they can pay high wages and attract quality players. But we back ourselves — Vaduz were in the group stages a few years ago, they are a good side, but we got through.”
Kenny, meanwhile, praised his team for coming through the tie despite not playing “that well” on Thursday and highlighted Elbouzedi among other wingers’ vital contributions.
“It was great for Zack because he hasn’t played matches in a while and to come in and ‘should I start him last week,’ it was a knife-edge decision. But it proved a very profitable decision as he had a big impact on the game last week.
“And he got a big goal tonight with his left foot, he can only get confidence from that and like everyone else, players need to be confident. And for Romal [Palmer], that is his first goal as well and very timely.
“Jake [Mulraney] did his stuff in the first leg and the two lads tonight. That’s adding creativity to us and that’s a big help.
“I thought [also] Kian Leavy altered the game coming on and he had a big influence on the game.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'I've had a difficult time the last couple of years with managers that didn't really believe in me'
A ZACK Elbouzedi goal proved crucial as St Patrick’s Athletic advanced to the third qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League last night.
The timing of the 26-year-old’s perfectly placed finish was significant.
Stephen Kenny’s side were on the ropes against Vaduz.
They had gone behind in the game, giving away a sloppy penalty, and were under the cosh.
The post saved them moments after the concession of the opener as Javier Navarro was inches away from doubling his side’s advantage.
Then, Elbouzedi repaid the faith shown in him by Kenny with a goal he described afterwards as “probably the most important” of his career.
Suddenly, Pat’s were looking comfortable again.
And although they experienced a few more hiccups, the 5-3 aggregate result was a fair reflection of their superiority over two legs.
While admitting the match “wasn’t pretty” as Pat’s dug deep to keep their opponents at bay, Elbouzedi was delighted to score a first goal for the club, which could hardly have come at a more optimal moment.
Moreover, it is just over two weeks since it was announced that Elbouzedi was signing for Pat’s.
His first start for the club came in the home leg against the Liechtenstein-based side.
Elbouzedi’s career of late has been stop-start. Early spells as a youngster with West Brom and Inverness Caledonian Thistle didn’t work out. It took a move back to Waterford in 2019 to remind people of his prowess.
That excellent standalone League of Ireland season was followed by brief, underwhelming spells at Lincoln City and Bolton Wanderers where chances to impress were limited.
A transfer to Sweden initially served the Dubliner well. But most of his 63 appearances for Allsvenskan side AIK came in his first two seasons before falling out of favour.
Elbouzedi then made 17 appearances on loan at a Swindon Town side that finished 19th in League Two last season before Pat’s came calling.
Kenny knows Elbouzedi well from his time as Ireland U21 manager and their mutual respect for one another is palpable.
One of the reasons the Malahide United graduate came to the club was the opportunity to play European football; another was Kenny.
“I had a pretty successful spell with him at the 21s,” Elbouzedi says of Kenny. “Every game I was fit for him I played and I was in every camp he was involved in. I said it before — I felt a belief in him from the start when I was with the 21s and when I met him again a few weeks before he joined.
“I still feel that belief. I’ve had a difficult time the last couple of years with managers that didn’t really believe in me or give me the chance and that’s all I need. I need a manager that believes in me and then I can play my best football. Having him here is massive because I know that under him I can succeed and play my best football.”
Perhaps Kenny’s best attribute as a manager working for over a quarter of a century has been the ability to get the best out of young players who have been written off or underestimated by people in the game.
Elbouzedi and many others in the Pat’s squad fit these criteria. This European run has been a welcome distraction from a sub-par domestic season but they will need another sterling display to overcome Azerbaijani side Sabah, who knocked out Maccabi Haifa last night on penalties after a crazy 6-6 aggregate draw.
Uefa deem Richmond Park ineligible to host games in this upcoming round, so Tallaght Stadium — where Kenny has some fond memories from his time with Dundalk and Ireland U21s — is set to be the venue for the home leg of the tie.
The winger already has some sense of what to expect, given that he knows one of the opposition’s players, Vincent Thill, from their time together at AIK.
“They are a high-level team, people might think because they are from Azerbaijan it might be easy but it won’t be, they have a lot of good quality players. I know they can pay high wages and attract quality players. But we back ourselves — Vaduz were in the group stages a few years ago, they are a good side, but we got through.”
Kenny, meanwhile, praised his team for coming through the tie despite not playing “that well” on Thursday and highlighted Elbouzedi among other wingers’ vital contributions.
“It was great for Zack because he hasn’t played matches in a while and to come in and ‘should I start him last week,’ it was a knife-edge decision. But it proved a very profitable decision as he had a big impact on the game last week.
“And he got a big goal tonight with his left foot, he can only get confidence from that and like everyone else, players need to be confident. And for Romal [Palmer], that is his first goal as well and very timely.
“Jake [Mulraney] did his stuff in the first leg and the two lads tonight. That’s adding creativity to us and that’s a big help.
“I thought [also] Kian Leavy altered the game coming on and he had a big influence on the game.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Faith League of Ireland LOI Soccer St Patrick's CY Uefa conference league vaduz Zack Elbouzedi