Given the consensus that the business end of the Champions League only kicks off when the competition reaches its knockout stage, there has always been an unavoidable element of phoney war about what UEFA calls ‘Matchday 1’.

St. Patrick's Athletic 2 Shakhter Karagandy 0 (St. Pat's won 3-2 on aggregate)

PETE MAHON last night hailed his side’s battling performance in their narrow defeat to Shakter Karagandy in Kazakhstan as the highlight of his long career.