St Pat’s in the box seat despite late Wagner goal

Despite the concession a stoppage time equaliser, St Patrick’s Athletic can travel home today confident of having given themselves every chance of making the third round of the Europa League.

With the game in the third minute of added time, Brazilian striker Wagner headed home a deep cross to give Siroki Brijeg a scarcely deserved draw.

Christy Fagan’s early goal had looked set to give St Pat’s victory as Liam Buckley’s side never wilted in the 27 degree heat.

St Pat’s keeper Brendan Clarke made an early save from Sandro Bloudek before the visitors’ start was rewarded with a vital away goal on 12 minutes.

The goal should have come a minute earlier but John Russell’s weak penalty — after Siroki Brijeg captain Verdan Jese handled a Sean O’Connor cross — was saved by Luka Bilobrik.

But Russell promptly played his part in the lead goal. Fagan made a telling return to the side, winning the ball near the halfway line to surge forward.

He fed Russell whose shot was parried by Bilobrik. Fagan followed up to drill the ball home.

Bloudek was proving Siroki Brijeg’s chief threat and he just failed to get enough purchase on a cross on the half hour which went past a post.

It then got better for St Pat’s three minutes before the break when home defender Mladen Jurcevic, booked for a handball on seven minutes, received a second yellow for a rash challenge on Fagan and was sent off.

St Pat’s remained comfortable into the second half and substitute Darren Meenan had a late chance to all but put the tie to bed, but the winger put his 82nd minute lob wide.

Then came that late, late equaliser.

NK SIROKI BRIJEG: Bilobrik; Jurcevic, D. Dzidic, Jese, Bertosa; Zlomislic (Baiano, 67 mins), Serdarusic (I. Dzidic, h/t); Coric, Wagner, Bloudek; Roskam (Kordic, 55 mins).

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke; O’Brien, Kenna, Browne, Bermingham; Russell, Chambers, Bolger; Forrester (J Kelly, 86 mins), Fagan, O’Connor (Meenan, 75 mins).

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania).