Dominant St Pat's display seals first-leg win over FC Vaduz
Goals from skipper Joe Redmond and Jake Mulraney give St Patrick’s Athletic a 3-1 lead into next week’s reverse fixture in Lichtenstein.
Following a dismal display in Derry last weekend, St Pat’s returned home with a point to prove, and scores to settle. Jamie Lennon set the tone for the evening, launching himself into a crunching challenge on Kosovo international Lorik Emini, who was forced off the pitch from the blow.
Boosted by a first start for Zak Elbouzedi, the Saints opened the affair with an early lead.
Romal Palmer, who had been causing problems from the get-go breezed past Hasler, with the referee playing advantage. That was quickly cut short, with Palmer being hacked down by Slimani in a dangerous area.
Mulraney stepped up, with Vaduz keeper Benjamin Buchel expecting a curled effort into the top right corner. The winger paid no mind, dropping it into the far corner to give his side the lead after just five minutes.
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— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 25, 2024It wasn’t long before the duo combined to double the lead, with Palmer nicking the ball deep in the opposition half from Emini. Having flicked it around Hammerich, he slipped Mulraney through, who slotted his effort past Buchel on 17 minutes.
The visitors brought a physicality that matched the Saints, with Mulraney and Lennon both picking up knocks from heavy challenges. Tom Owen didn’t seem shy in dishing out the cards, with Lorik Emini and Mischa Beeli all picking up yellows in the first period.
By the break, Pat’s had created multiple chances, with Joseph Anang being untested. Any half chances the visitors could muster were yet to reach the new signing, with Joe Redmond and Tom Grivosti working well to consistently halt the Vaduz attack.
They were also unlucky to have not netted a third, with Grivosti and Forrester both coming close throughout the half.
The early stages of the second half proved to be slightly different for Anang, after a quiet opening 45. Despite not having to make a save, the keeper was forced into a few sweeping actions.
Palmer continued to be a nuisance, with his footwork proving too much for Vaduz to deal with. Within 10 minutes, Krauchi had picked up another booking for the visitors for dragging the midfielder by the shirt.
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With Pat’s continuing to make inroads throughout the half, Vaduz started to quietly grow into the game. Despite posing little threat, they nabbed one back after an error at the back allowed Italy native Danilo Del Toro to weakly poke it past Anang with 25 minutes to go, following a Grivosti deflection.
The goal allowed Vaduz to grab a foothold in the game. The free-flowing attack seen in the first half from the hosts was suddenly stifled. The visitors came close to grabbing an equaliser through substitute Javier Navarro, whose effort was well saved by Anang.
Despite the positive displays from Palmer and Mulraney, they were subbed as tired legs started to show. Aaron Bolger and Jason McLelland replaced the stars of the show, with the decision paying off quickly.
The Saints were able to restore their two-goal lead through a Joe Redmond header, with the defender doing well to peel off and attack the incoming ball from a Chris Forrester free kick.
The substitutes seemed to replenish their offensive efforts, with Pat's almost grabbing a fourth in the closing minutes. Aaron Bolger's effort was well kept out by Buchel.
A late scuffle between the sides after a heavy challenge broke out, with Vaduz's Liridon Berisha picking up a yellow for an unnecessary challenge at the halfway line. Once again, Bolger found himself coming close, but couldn't guide his shot goalwards, with the visitors escaping punishment, with the game finishing 3-1.
Full Time: St Patrick’s Athletic 3-1 FC Vaduz
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang, Anto Breslin, Joe Redmond (c), Tom Grivosti, Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester (87), Mason Melia (87), Romal Palmer, Jake Mulraney, Axel Sjoberg, Zak Elbouzedi (70)
Substitutes: Danny Rogers, Shaun Hall, Ruairi Keating, Kian Leavy (70), Jason McLelland, Cian Kavanagh (87), Brandon Kavanagh, Aaron Bolger, Alex Nolan (87), Conor Keeley, Ryan McLaughlin, Luke Turner
FC Vaduz: Benjamin Buchel (c), Nicolas Hasler (82), Liridon Berisha, Denis Simani, Dominik Schwizer, Lorik Emini, Danilo Del Toro, Mischa Beeli, Alessandro Krauchi, Fabrizio Cavegn (70), Mats Hammerich
Substitutes: Tim-Tiado Oehri, Leon Schaffran, Sandro Wieser, Seifidin Chabbi, Simeon Weber, Federico Crescenti, Javier Navarro (70), Simon Luchinger, Mischa Eberhard, Fabian Stober, Jonathan De Donno (82)
Referee: Tom Owen
Attendance: 2,388
