Uefa Cup - St Patricks Athletic 0-0 Hertha Berlin

Hertha Berlin progressed to the Group Stages of the Uefa Cup after a scoreless draw with St Patrick's Athletic on Tuesday afternoon at the RDS. Leading by two goals to nil from the first leg, Hertha were always going to be the overwhelming favourites, but St Pat's did themselves proud with a fine display, and deserved at least one goal for all their efforts.

The games first chance of note went the way of the visitors. Lukasz Piszczek drifted in from the right and linked up well with Andriy Voronin, but the former Liverpool striker's volley from all of twenty five yards was ambitious, and ended up a long way over Barry Ryan's crossbar.

Ryan Guy was looking lively on the right side of midfield, and after eighteen minutes he broke away from Maximilian Nicu. His dangerous cross from the byline was cleared at the back post for a corner kick by Sofian Chahed.

Guy was in the middle of the action again a few minutes later. He won a free kick a few yards from the goal line, and left Keith Fahey in charge of the deadball situation - however Fahey's low cross to the front post was poor, and easily cleared.

Just after the hour mark Pat's created a great opening for midfielder Gary Dempsey. And it was down the right handside again where Pat's found joy. Mark Quigley did really well, and whipped in a dangerous ball to the back post. Dempsey had dropped off the shoulder of Chahed and headed goalwards, but visiting keeper Jaroslav Drobný made a fine save, pushing the ball away.

Pat's were on the offensive again five minutes before the break. Fahey hit a hopeful ball to the left hand side of the box, where Alan Kirby rose well and headed it into the path of Glen Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick wasn't able to finish, but it mattered not, as the assistant had flagged him for being offside.

The Germans had a great chance just before the break, and should have really been leaving the field with a one goal lead. The Pat's defence was carved open right through the middle. Piszczek made it to the goal line, and with Ryan already out of the equation, beat Lynch, and rolled the ball across the face of the goal. European veteran Dave Rogers was on hand to clear, but only after he nearly netted it himself!

Piszczek and Cicero Santos had decent chances for Hertha not long after the restart, but Ryan was on hand to keep them at bay. Then with fifty six minutes on the clock, Hertha caught Johnny McDonnell's side short at the back, and should have at least tested Ryan, if not have gone one up. Maximilian Nicu played in Voronin, but from just eight yards out, and just Ryan to beat, he wildly volleyed high and wide.

Ten minutes later Pat's came their closest so far. Fahey picked up possession on the right and cut inside. From just outside the box he hit a low left footed shot. Drobný was beaten all ends up, but the ball struck the base of the upright on the inside. Guy followed up from eight yards but sent his off balance effort over the bar.

Hertha then broke away quickly again. Voronin exchanged passes with Piszczek, but once he got into the box his touch let him down and the chance was gone.

Midway through the half, Pat's created two great chances within the space of minutes, both on the right side. Guy broke into the box, but hit his effort straight at Drobný. Damien Lynch then brilliantly controlled a cross field ball on his chest and entered the box, but his attempted shot was mis-hit and rolled harmlessly out of play.

Quigley dispossessed the opposition in midfield, and then went past two defenders. With Hertha on the back foot, and short on numbers, Quigley fed Guy, but the American looked all too casual and totally wasted the chance with terrible cross.

It was more or less all Pat's at this stage, and with the clock approaching the eighty minute mark they again came close. Dempsey and Kirby had some clever interplay on the left which resulted in the former Aberdeen midfielder sending a teasing cross into the box. Quigley was left unmarked, but Drobný did just enough to prevent him from getting a clean head to the ball, in the process conceding a corner.

Fahey sent the resulting corner into the box, where centre back Jason Gavin got his head to the ball, despite it looking like he was being pulled and dragged to the ground. The ball fell for Dempsey, who hit it first time, It looked like it was net-bound, but struck the inside of the post, giving Hertha the chance to clear the danger.

With just over five minutes remaining Pats went to three at the back with Jamie Harris adding his considerable height to the attacking effort. Cicero back heeled on the edge of the box into the path of Voronin, but Ryan was again ready, and made a fine save. Lynch was then dismissed for a second bookable offence in the eighty seventh minutes.

Substitute John Murphy narrowly missed from eight yards when the ball struck him at speed after a high cross alluded everyone else. Murphy then had another chance in stoppage time, but headed wide after not making proper contact from Fahey's free kick.

St Patrick's Athletic: Barry Ryan; Damien Lynch, Dave Rogers, Jamie Harris, Jason Gavin; Alan Kirby (Derek O'Brien 79), Gary Dempsey (Joe O'Cearuill 90), Keith Fahey, Ryan Guy; Mark Quigley, Glen Fitzpatrick (John Murphy 79).
Subs not used: Lance Friesz, Noel Haverty, Jaroslaw Bialek.

Booked: Lynch.
Sent Off: Lynch (87).

Hertha Berlin: Jaroslav Drobny; Arne Friedrich, Steve Von Bergen, Sofian Chahed, Santos Cicero, Raffael Aurojo (Valeri Domovchiyski 65), Andriy Voronin, Josip Simunic, Max Nicu, Lukasz Piszczek (Marc Stein 90), Fabian Lustenberger (Pal Dardai 71).

Booked: Cicero.

Referee: Micalis Koukoulakis (Greece).

Attendance: 4,264