St Pat's return to form with impressive European win over FC Vaduz

Jake Mulraney will deservedly get a huge chunk of praise for his two-goal delivery in the space of 11 minutes early in the first half, but that third goal, from captain Joe Redmond 13 minutes from time, could prove to be one of the biggest goals scored by the Saints in Europe, as that restored their two-goal advantage and put a stop to what looked like a revival from Vaduz, whose scrappy goal on 65 minutes had threatened to unnerve the home team.

A place in the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, and a likely meeting with Azerbaijani side Sabah, is in the Saints’ grasp once they don’t collapse in the away leg next week.

They can expect a response from a Vaduz outfit who were repeatedly upset by what they saw as home-town decisions by the Welsh referee in a tense affair which threatened to boil over at various points, with a flare-up late on after a heavy challenge on Saints sub Cian Kavanagh.

Saints fans in the crowd of 2,388 – who were also in Derry to see their team last weekend – will wonder if they were watching the same team as this Saints outfit were a world apart from the team which were so meek days earlier.

The tone for the evening was set after just 30 seconds when Jamie Lennon put in a crunching tackle on Kosovo international Lorik Emini, Lennon avoiding a yellow card but concern on the away bench about what they saw as an overly-physical approach from Pat’s.

The Saints crowd were in full voice from the start and had a reward on six minutes with the lead goal. Denis Simani fouled Romal Palmer on the edge of the box, the Welsh referee awarded a free kick and Mulraney took control with a lovely left-foot finish.

He made it 2-0 on 17 minutes, with Palmer again pivotal. Palmer nipped in when Emini was too ponderous in possession, he played it to Mulraney, whose left foot worked its magic again, beating Liechtenstein’s international keeper Benjamin Buchel in the Vaduz goal.

Pat’s were not yet sated and pushed for more goals, Buchel saving a Lennon header on 26 minutes and then Lindon Berisha clearing off the line. Teenager Mason Melia was nuisance to Vaduz – and deserved his standing ovation when he was substituted - with wide players Mulraney and Zac Elbouzedi both a constant threat, while the midfield axis of Lennon and Chris Forrester dominated that area.

Vaduz got back into the game on 65 minutes, pouncing when a corner was not properly cleared and a shot by Danilo Del Toro went in, with a deflection off Tom Grivosti. Pat’s did look vulnerable to the concession of a second but old stagers did their work, a free in from Forrester headed in by Redmond on 77 minutes to make it 3-1.

Sub Aaron Bolger went close twice after coming on and Jay McClelland was also a threat as tensions were high for the closing stages, including six minutes of added time, as the Saints saw out the win.

ST PATS - Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Grivosti; Breslin; Lennon, Forrester (Nolan 85); Elbouzedi (Leavy 68), Palmer (Bolger 76), Mulraney (McClelland 76); Melia (C Kavanagh 85).

VADUZ - Buchel; Beeli, Simani, Berisha, Krauchi (Stober 85); Emini (Eberhard 46). Hammerich, Hasler (De Dono 81); Schwizer, Cavegn (Navarro 68), Del Toro.

REF - T Owen (Wales)