Heartbreak as Dundalk fail to reach their Zenit

It probably says everything about what Dundalk are achieving this season that the overriding feeling at the end of this defeat to Zenit was one of acute disappointment.

Not relief that the Louth men had escaped some sort of hiding or admiration for a team’s plucky underdog spirit, but genuine disappointment that they had lost so narrowly after a superb performance against the highest ranked team in the Europa League.

For the full house in attendance – Roy Keane among them –as well as those looking in from the 37 countries who were showing the game live, it would have been hard for much of this night to tell the giants and giant-killers apart, as Zenit were forced to come from a goal down to take the three points back to St Petersburg. But, despite this defeat, the Irish champions remain second in the Group D table and with every reason to still believe they can qualify for the knock-out stage.