Pride but no progress for Saints

THE RDS woodwork twice denied St Patrick’s Athletic last night, as the League of Ireland side gave it everything but ultimately came up short in their efforts to turn around a 2-0 deficit against Hertha Berlin and reach the promised land of the group stages of the UEFA Cup.

Johnny McDonnell’s side did themselves and Irish football proud with a performance of guts, discipline and no little skill.

It would be easy to write this one up as just another moral victory or heroic failure, but anyone who was in the RDS, or watched the game on TV, will know that the Inchicore side deserve more credit than that.