Rogers pays the penalty but keeps St Patrick's in the game

SOCCER: EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFYING ROUND: IBV 1, St Patrick's Ath 0:HAVING GIVEN away a needless penalty, Gary Rogers can still reflect this morning that his main attributes as a goalkeeper have surely kept St Patrick's in Europe.

Rogers recklessly hauled down ex-Iceland international Tryggvi Gudmundsson five minutes into the second half for IBV captain Andri Olafsson to calmly send the goalkeeper keeper the wrong way from the spot for the only goal of this first leg

Rogers, though, quickly redeemed himself with two terrific saves inside a minute. First Denis Sytnik’s curling effort from 20 yards looked destined for the far top corner before Rogers clawed it away one-handed.

The danger remained from the corner which wasn’t properly cleared and Ugandan Tonny Mawejje’s stinging shot was again turned out by Rogers at full stretch again for IBV’s ninth corner of the game.

St Patrick’s pressed hard for much of the remainder of the game and did enough to have at least got an equaliser most notably four minutes from time when substitute Anto Murphy’s header from a Stephen Bradley corner was headed off the line by Mawejje.

Then, right on 90 minutes, defender Brian Shortall headed wide after IBV failed to clear Murphy’s long throw. Though they certainly looked unsure of themselves in defence, IBV were a threat at the other end, forcing six corners to nil in the first half.

Veteran 42-times capped striker Tryggvi Gudmundsson, as expected, signalled that intent when getting in behind on 11 minutes to cross. Derek Pender defended well to clear with Sytnik lurked behind. That raised the home side’s confidence and they caught St Patrick’s square on 18 minutes with the first really clear chance of the match.

“We had enough chances to have got an away goal. We should have at least got one or two,” reflected St Patrick’s manager Pete Mahon.

“The goal we gave away was comical, so I’m bitterly disappointed. But having said that we created chances and I believe we’ll definitely take them at home.

“There was no doubt it was a penalty. But Gary made two brilliant saves.

“Daryl Kavanagh had maybe three good chances, Danny North two and Brian Shortall could have scored right at the end. “I’m disappointed that we lost, but we played reasonably well and we have to be happy with that and take the positives out of it.”

IBV:Saevarsson; Mellor, Sigurbjornsson, Christiansen, Garner; Mawejje, F Olafsson, Vladimarsson; Sytnik (Thorarinsson 73 mins), A Olafsson (Hughes 78 mins), Gudmundsson (Borgthorsson 85 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Pender, E McMillan, Shortall, Bermingham; Bradley, Crowley (McFaul 61 mins), Mulcahy (Murphy, 84 mins); Kavanagh, North (Daly, 75 mins), Doyle.

Referee: Michael Svendsen (Denmark).