Europa Conference League Report: St. Patrick’s Athletic 2 - 3 F91 Dudelange (F91 win 5-3 on aggregate)

Macdara Ferris reports from Richmond Park

The Saints came up just short in a highly entertaining European tie in Inchicore on Thursday night. It was end to end stuff as the home side duked it out with Dudelange in this Europa Conference League first round qualifier.

However, having lost on the night 3-2 after conceding a 95th minute goal the 5-3 aggregate defeat means they become the first League of Ireland side to exit Europe this year but their efforts can’t really be faulted as they really took this tie to the Luxembourg side.

They were undone by a superb display by striker Oege-Sieste Van Lingen who scored a hat-trick on the night.

Most own goals can be described as a comedy own goal but the desperate one Didier Desprez’s put in to his own goal was worthy of golden globe comedy award. The goal for the Saints came from a block tackle just outside the centre circle between Jamie Lennon and Edis Agovic that looped back towards the Dudelange goal.

Desprez came to punch and realised he was outside his area and headed the ball up and back towards his goal. It bounced in the six yard box and, to the delight of the Saints supporters behind that goal in the Inchicore end of ground, hit the underside of the bar and in as Dudelange defenders desperately tried to get back to clear.

It was a goal that was against the run of play for the Athletic with the Luxembourg side well on top at that point after they had scored through an eighth minute strike from Oege-Sietse Van Lingen (who also scored the opening goal in the first leg).

The Dutch striker blasted the ball home from close range with the outside of his foot into the top corner off the bar after he picked up a layoff from Samir Hadji.

It silenced the Saints faithful in the 2,500 UEFA restricted sold out crowd who had been in fine voice after Jon Daly’s side had the game started strongly, buoyed by Desprez spilling an early shot from Saints skipper Chris Forrester.

After the opening goal there was an extended period of pressure on Pats from the visitors who really should have added to their tally. Jamie Lennon had been called upon to head off his own line after the impressive Samir Hadji headed against the bar.

The son of former Moroccan international Mustapha Hadji caused carnage in the Pats box in the 18^th minute when he dropped the ball into the danger area. Yahcuroo Roemer and Hadji both had shots blocked and Lyness saved Hadji’s drilled effort from distance just before the equaliser.

Conor Carty was causing the visitors plenty of difficulty and he should have done better with the chance on 33 minutes when he spun on the edge of the area. However he only hit it straight at the keeper with Desprez having to save the rebound from Mark Doyle.

When the whistle came for break, everyone in the ground could take a bit of a breather after such a hectic half of football.

Jon Daly made a double switch at half-time bringing on David Norman and Adam Murphy in place of Harry Brockbank and Thijs Timmermans.

The Athletic went 2-1 in front on the night and level 3-3 in the tie with a cracking goal from Murphy. He picked up Jay McGrath’s pass as he came forward from his own half, skipped by a challenge from Ismael Sidibe, and drilled the ball low in the bottom right corner of the net as Richmond Park erupted.

The teams were only level in the tie for seven minutes before Dudelange punished an error at the back by David Norman. He coughed up to ball and Van Lingen was ruthless as he struck a low effort by Lyness to give them a 4-3 aggregate lead.

Sidibe picked up his second yellow card two minutes from time but the Saints couldn’t exploit their man advantage in the time remaining in the match that included seven minutes of injury time.

They conceded again in the fifth minute of injury time as Van Lingen completed his hat-trick as the Athletic were caught looking for that illusive equaliser.

St. Patrick's Athletic: Dean Lyness; Harry Brockbank (David Norman Jr. 46), Sam Curtis, Jay McGrath, Anto Breslin; Mark Doyle (Eoin Doyle 67), Jamie Lennon, Thijs Timmermans (Adam Murphy 46), Anto Breslin; Jake Mulraney, Chris Forrester; Conor Carty (Thomas Lonergan 80).
Subs not used: Matt Boylan, Danny Rogers, Noah Lewis, Mason Melia, Alex Nolan.
Booked: None.

F91 Dudelange: Didier Desprez; Kino Delorge, Ismaël Sidibé, Vincent Decker; Sylbio Ouassiero (Herman Moussaki 79), Edis Agovic (Filip Bojić 79), Bruno Freire Fernandes ©, Dylan Kuete (Jules Diouf 86); Yahcuroo Roemer (Yannick Schaus 90+6), ; Samir Hadji, Oege-Sietse Van Lingen.
Subs not used: Enzo Esposito, João Alves Margato, Gaël Mbala, Evann Mendes, Sinan Altun, Ivan Englaro, Marc Thomas.
Booked: Dylan Kuete (31), Ismaël Sidibé (47 and 88).
Sent off: Ismaël Sidibé (88).

Referee: Edgars Malcevs (Latvia)
Attendance: 2,534
extratime.com Player of the Match: Oege-Sietse Van Lingen (F91 Dudelange)

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