Champions League Report: Dundalk 1 - 1 Qarabag

Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park

Dundalk kept their Champions League hopes alive as they battled back to draw 1-1 with Qarabag FK in the first-leg of their second qualifying round tie at a sold-out Oriel Park on Wednesday night.

It was a disastrous start for Dundalk, who fell behind after just four minutes through Mahir Emreli’s header, but Patrick Hoban popped up with a header of his own at the same end on 78 minutes.

Vinny Perth’s side could even have won the match in the finish, as both Dane Massey and Michael Duffy had chances in stoppage-time to take a priceless lead to the Azerbaijani capital next week.

Dundalk will, however, be quietly confident of finding the net in Baku in seven days’ time, considering they’ve scored in no less than ten of the 12 European venues they’ve visited since 2014.

The Lilywhites made just one change from their penalty shoot-out win in Riga last week as Michael Duffy returned to the fold in place of John Mountney, who dropped to the substitutes bench.

Qarabag made three changes from their 2-0 win over Partizani Tirana with Gara Garayev, Simeon Slavchev and Mahir Emreli all starting.

Their XI also contained seven internationals, six of whom hail from Azerbaijan with Slavchev – who has won 24 caps for Bulgaria – being the odd one out.

Dundalk had started the match rather positively and Duffy’s corner was headed over by Andy Boyle.

However, disaster struck for the hosts after just four minutes had elapsed when Jaime Romero’s corner was headed home by last season’s top scorer Emreli via the slightest of deflections off Hoban.

Qarabag could have doubled their advantage moments after that when Emreli broke on the left flank before sending a good cross into the box that headed over from close range by Slavchev.

Sporting an all-white kit, Dundalk were feeding off scraps in the first half and they came closest when Vagner spilled from a Sean Gannon cross, however the ball just wouldn’t drop for Hoban.

The hosts had to weather the Qarabag storm for the remainder of the half, with the sensational Abdellah Zoubir guiding his effort inches wide after he had been played through on goal by Emreli.

Some good work on the left flank by full-back Ailton – on loan from VfB Stuttgart – resulted in Slavchev dragging his effort wide after the Brazilian’s cross had been only half-cleared by Boyle.

Midfield-marshal Richard Almeida was next to try his luck, but the Brazilian-born Azerbaijan international fizzed his effort just wide of the post after Chris Shields had failed to clear the danger.

On a night when Gary Rogers became the most experienced League of Ireland player ever to play in European competition, the veteran goalkeeper kept his side in the game with two important stops.

First, he had to make himself big to deny Slavchev from close range after the Bulgarian international had been brilliantly played through on goal by Zoubir, who was now causing considerable damage.

The tricky French winger was again at the forefront of the action when he teased and tormented Shields on the left before proceeding to fire an effort that was saved by the Dundalk netminder.

Dundalk grew into the tie a lot more in the second period and Hoban, finding himself out wide, crossed for Patrick McEleney, who skied his effort whilst under the challenge of Gara Garayev.

The Lilywhites went close once again when Slavchev blocked Sean Murray’s attempted shot after Duffy had pulled the ball across goal following a deep cross from the right by Jamie McGrath.

Qarabag offered a not so gentle reminder of their threat on the hour mark, when Zoubir skinned the Dundalk defence before setting up Jaime Romero, who couldn’t keep his effort down.

Spanish winger Romero – who has previously played in both La Liga and Serie A – saw his rasping effort from distance parried by Rogers before Richard Almeida fired over from the rebound.

Dundalk really should have equalised when from Duffy’s cross, McGrath brilliantly turned Rahil Mammadov, but the Qarabag defender did just enough to divert his shot just wide of the post.

However, the resulting corner by Murray was planted into the danger area before eventually finding its way into the path of Hoban, who gratefully headed home from close range as Oriel erupted.

The hosts were on fire now and then had several chances to win the match, with the inrushing McGrath diverting his shot straight into the arms of Vagner after Gannon’s low cross from the right.

Murray’s free-kick deep into the box in stoppage-time was headed on by Sean Hoare before Dane Massey blazed over, while Duffy’s shot late on was rather unconvincingly flapped away by Vagner.

That was the game’s last action as Dundalk continued their unbeaten European record at Oriel Park.

Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Sean Hoare, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Chris Shields, Robbie Benson (Sean Murray 27); Michael Duffy, Jamie McGrath, Patrick McEleney (John Mountney 69); Patrick Hoban (Georgie Kelly 83).

Subs not used: Aaron McCarey (gk), Daniel Cleary, Dean Jarvis, Daniel Kelly.

Booked: None.

Qarabag: Vagner; Maksim Medvedev (Abbas Huseynov 53), Rahil Mammadov, Rashad Sadygov, Ailton; Gara Garayev; Simeon Slavchev, Richard Almeida; Jaime Romero (Araz Abdullayev 87), Mahir Emreli, Abdellah Zoubir.

Subs not used: Shakhrudin Magomedaliyev (gk), Michel, Dani Quintana, Filip Ozobic, Hajiaga Hajiyev.

Booked: Ailton (45+3), Simeon Slavchev (62).

Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (Poland).

Attendance: 3,100.

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Gary Rogers (Dundalk).