ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC 0
DINAMO MINSK 1
(Aggregate: St Pats 1-2 Dinamo Minsk)
Darren Cleary at Richmond Park
St Patrick's Athletic bowed out of Europe after losing 1-0 to Dinamo Minsk in the UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round Second Leg.
The killer blow came on 18 minutes when Yury Ostraukh’s corner was knocked on by Vladimir Korytko into the path of Gleb Rassadkin who calmly slotted into the corner.
Brendan Clarke was twice called into action in the lead up to the corner that resulted in the opening goal.
The Saints’ shot stopper’s fine fingertip save denied Mohammed El Monir who fired a powerful effort his way.
The home side had been on top up until then, Christy Fagan proved a real handful early on and ran the centre-halves ragged in the opening 5 minutes.
Liam Buckley’s charges responded well to the concession of the goal, moments later Billy Dennnehy fired an effort just over the crossbar.
The visitors, buoyed by their goal began to assert some dominance, they came close to doubling their lead when Oleksandr Noyok's long range effort was palmed away by Clarke.
Graham Kelly tried one from distance, his shot was just wide of the post.
The Saints forced a number of corners but failed to fashion any clear cut chances. A Keith Treacy corner caused some problems but it was cleared onto the crossbar by Ostraukh.
Clarke kept the Saints in the tie shortly before half time when he denied El Monir with a fine stop from close range.
The visitors seemed content with defending the lead they had and the Saints began to pile on the pressure after the re-start.
Dinamo Minsk were purveyors of the dark arts of defending, any St Pats moved that looked dangerous was cynically stopped.
Fagan, Treacy and Dennehy all fell victim to being dragged to the ground to break up the play, much to the frustration of the capacity crowd in Richmond Park.
The Belorussian side looked lethal from the counter-attack in the first half, but as the game wore on they were more than happy to run down the clock.
The ref did brandish a red card but it was to a sub Vladimir Khvaschinski because he got involved when a scuffle broke out after Fagan and the keeper collided contesting the ball.
Fagan and Sverchinsk went in the book for their part in the altercation.
Dinamo played no football in the second half they instead kicked, pushed and pulled their way into the next round of the Europa League.
St Pats: Clarke, O’Brien (CAPT), Hoare, D Dennehy, Bermingham, Kelly (70 Cawley), Treacy, B Dennehy, Timlin (62 McGrath), Byrne (88 Corcoran), Fagan.
Dinamo Minsk: Ignatovich, Ostraukh, Bykov, Korytko, Zhukovski (c) (78 Shramchenko), El Monir, Noyok, Habovda, Sverchinski, Rassadkin (58 Rotkovic), Kaplenko.
