Battle-hardened St. Pat's win on penalties in Slovenia to shock NŠ Mura
MAGIC: St. Patrick's players celebrate victory with goalkeeper Joseph Anang. ©INPHO/Sasa Pahic Szabo
The Saints go marching on in Europe, inflicting the type of shock on NŠ Mura that the Slovenians inflicted on Tottenham in the same Conference League last season.
Few could begrudge the FAI Cup holders their win over the 210 minutes, as they more than matched their illustrious opponents to set up a third round clash next week against CSKA Sofia.
They held Mura scoreless, extending them to extra-time and penalties where the spot-kick by captain Joe Redmond proved decisive in a 6-5 sudden death victory.
Joseph Anang, who had saved Mihael Klepac attempt in the main shootout, didn’t have to from Tio Cipot’s kick which skied over the bar in the Murska Sobota air.
Owner Garrett Kelleher, who was in attendance and has pumped millions into the club, will be glad of the €850,000 in prize-money too.
Speaking in the build-up, Jonathan Daly from the St Pat’s coaching staff predicted a far cagier, slower game than last week’s affair but the second leg was equally open.
Chances flowed at both ends. Profligate finishing by the Saints was responsible for their blank whereas Mura just couldn’t find a way past the peerless Anang.
Sparks flew in last week’s encounter at Inchicore, resulting in Mark Doyle’s late and harsh sending off and it was hardly surprising to see the tension spillover.
Mirland Daku, who put Mura ahead in the first leg, was the primary perpetrator in the opening exchanges, throwing his weight around and leaving the boot in on Adam O’Reilly and Chris Forrester.
As Daly predicted, Mura were paying closer attention to Forrester following his exploits last week not just as goalscorer but orchestrator from midfield.
They promoted Dardan Shabanhaxhaj from the bench and the Austrian loanee from Sturm Gratz forced their first chance on 18 minutes, drifting inside past Harry Brockbank but unable to keep his curler beneath the angle of post and crossbar.
Two minutes later, Brockbank was again caught out and fortunate not to concede a penalty. Daku was the one to nick the ball past him in the box but Swiss referee Urs Schnyder wasn’t interested.
Perhaps Daku’s reputation for playacting has preceded him for it wasn’t the only time the Kosovan international, on loan from Osijek, justifiably felt hard done by.
He’s also renowned for being a fusion of targetman and poacher, evident by a lapse he seized upon on 26 minutes.
Hesitation between defence and Anang allowed the giant bear down on the goal, only for his right-footer to be pushed away by the West Ham United loanee.
That wasn’t the latest snippet of home domination, for the Saints had just spurned a sitter. When Forrester’s corner was nodded back into the six-yard box, Barry Cotter looked poised to convert but he glanced his header over the bar.
Veteran Eoin Doyle also went close by rifling a drive on the run that Matko Obradovic in the Mura goal held onto. Luka Bobicanec tried his luck from a similar range at the opposite end but Daku was nearer, concluding his mazy run by clipping the outside of the post.
It was still evenly set at the break, with Forrester’s shot over the crossbar and Billy King’s drilled delivery across the box early in the second half proving the FA Cup holders were holding their own.
Daku, booked shortly after the restart, was lucky to stay on the pitch on 56. When he went down in the shadow of Brockbank, there was clearly no contact but the referee was lenient in merely waving the appeals away.
Schnyder did wave a red card on 71 minutes and deservedly so to Matic Marusko. The sub was only on the pitch eight minutes when he foolishly raised his hand in an off-the-ball incident with Forrester, suffering the same fate as Doyle last week.
Tim Clancy’s side would eventually profit from the extra space but only after Anang thwarted Tio Cipot’s 80th minute header and Mihael Klepac blazed over.
Five minutes from the end, Thijs Timmermans had a glorious chance to clinch it, only to sidefoot wide after Doyle’s knockdown had left him free on the edge of the box.
J Anang; H Brockbank, J Redmond, T Grivosti; B Cotter, A O’Reilly (J McClelland 115), J Lennon (T Timmermans 61), A Breslin; C Forrester (R Coughlan 86), B King (S Atakayi 69); E Doyle.
M Obradovic; A Beganovic, K Cipot, D Morris, K Pucko (J Majic 119); L Bobicanec, N Lorbek (M Klepac 63); Z Kous (M Sroler 86), N Petkovic (T Cipot 63), D Shabanhaxhaj (M Marusko 63); M Daku.
Urs Schnyder (SUI).
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