Despite the 2-1 loss
at Stade de la Frontiere at Esch-Sur- Alzette, the away goal was enough for the
Boys of Inchicore, Dublin to advance to the next stages in this edition of the Europa
League. With an opportune goal from defender Darren Dennehy, his side survived
the local’s revival and seeking a continuance of their European adventure.
As the Pats successful,
run in the first stages of the Europa League knockout rounds now advancing to the
second round and making their goal to advance into the coveted stage groups.
With a 1-0, win at
Richmond Park and an opportune goal from Christy Fagan, the Dubliners started
paving their run as well preparing themselves to what was coming at them in
Stade de la Frontiere.
Still with a one goal
advantage anything could happen at the home of the AS la Jeunesse d’ Esch.
As the Boss of the
Luxembourg Boys Carlo Weis put his squad on high alert and looking forward of
taking advantage of their home field by sending his best initial eleven to try to
reverse the outcome of this series. Alongside of looking for the upset and give
his followers a joy of advancing into the second stages of this tournament.
With a game going on
in the 22nd, minute the local’s immediately saw their presence felt
with an early score and putting the series even at one goal apiece until the
end of the first half. As the Jeunesse midfielder, Patrick Stumpf took the Initiative
of putting his squad in the scoreboard as well playing a one of a kind match
for his squad losing cause.
Despite the local
Luxembourg Boys pressuring all afternoon long, the Pats were seeking the way to
beat the posts of keeper Marc Oberweis with shoots from Conan Byrne, Keith
Treacy and Sean Hoare and for his benefit the visitors target was a bit off.
For the Pats Boss Liam
Buckley seeing his squad constant pressuring and ineffectively seeing his Boys
efforts going AWOL, in the 73rd minute it’s when the Super Saints did the ultimate feat.
With a
corner kick taken by Irish internal Treacy it’s when the man of the hour Darren
Dennehy appear with a nice header to beat the Jeunesse posts and its keeper Oberweis.
A goal that at the
end became the difference maker and gave the Saints a reason to march happily on
to the next stages of the UEFA Europa League and what became the tiebreaker and
gave the Dublin squad its ticket to the second rounds.
Still the Jeunesse
lads tried their best to comeback as their lead man Patrick Stumpf played a top-notch
game, when he scored the second goal of the match in the 87th for
the losing cause. As for Jeunesse Manager Weis, in his bid of trying of
initiate a rally from his Boys as well making a couple of moves in his eleven, that
at the end his efforts came short.
In the case of the
Saints playing a very defensive football in the last minutes of the match and
seeing how an opportune Mike Timlin cleared in what seems a clear goal for the
home squad, as well kudos to Pats keeper Brendan Clarke and his backfield all
around heroics.
That despite the AS
Jeunesse insistence of scoring in the last minutes and pressuring until the last
minute, the Super Pats showed off their mettle and class in what seem a very
brilliant and raucous win.
Now for the St. Pats
is time to prepare for league play and await for who will be their next rivals
in Dynamo Minsk of Belarus or Latvia’s Spartak Jurmala in their second round
adventure and hopefully this time they make it into the coveted stage group of the
Europa League.
Post Contents and Property of Fern
Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved
Photos Credit, Courtesy and Property
of Saint Patrick Athletic Football Club and © Sports File 2016
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