Ross Fay gives St Pat's lifeline againstRed Star Belgrade in Uefa Youth League

St Patrick's Athletic's Kian Corbally is tackled by Stefan Malentijevic of Red Star. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Uefa Youth League: St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Red Star Belgrade 2

Ross Fay’s late goal gives St Patrick’s Athletic some hope in the Uefa Youth League second leg in Serbia on October 20 after Marko Lazetic’s first-half brace looked to have put Red Star Belgrade in control of the tie.

Saints boss Sean O’Connor had namechecked 17-year-old first-teamer Lazetic as a threat in the build-up and his defence allowed him jink into the box to blast home the opener after only three minutes. His second, in first-half stoppage-time, was another clinical finish inside Josh Keeley’s near post.

When the home side finally started to get efforts on target in the second half, goalkeeper Stefan Marinkovic batted away strikes by Luke O’Brien and Tommy Lonergan but they eventually reduced the arrears in stoppage-time.

The Saints had a first-team regular of their own, Ben McCormack, kept in reserve on the bench and he was sent on at half-time to try retrieve the tie. It was his cross two minutes into stoppage time that Fay glanced past Marinkovic and into the corner.

Red Star were playing with a man down at that stage after Stefan Maletijevic incurred a second booking for scything down Lonergan on 85 minutes.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: J Keeley; D Dunne, R Webb, S Curtis, L O’Brien; J Corbally, R Fay, B Curtis; J O’Reilly (B McCormack 46), T Lonergan (I Byrne 90), D Lipsiuc (U Anny-Nxekwue 78).

RED STAR BELGRADE: S Marinkovic; O Mimovic, S Lekovic, S Maletijevic, V Radojevic; M Curic, L Lecic, M Milosavic (M Stojanovic 57); M Nikolasevic (S Pirgic 71); A Kahvic, M Lazetic.

REFEREE: I Kristjansson (Iceland).