Melia shines as St Pat's ease into second round of Conference League
Mason Melia led St Patrick's Athletic to a facile victory over limited Lithuanian opposition to set up a Conference League second round tie next week.
Saints led 1-0 from the first leg in Dublin but the improved Hegelmann side Stephen Kenny predicted his team would face didn't materialise as the hosts suffered a meek home loss in Kaunas.
Their European experience was confined to a 5-0 crushing by Macedonian opponents and Pat's could easily have matched that rout over the 180 minutes.
A team owned by a freight company was easily sent packing in a primitive stadium dominated by visiting supporters.
Melia is on his way to Tottenham Hotspur next January for a transfer fee worth an initial €1.9m to Saints and he'll be central to generating revenue through this European run.
Progression through the opening round spikes to €700,000 the prize-money guaranteed for owner Garrett Kelleher.
It will enter the seven-figure bracket should they overcome the winner of tonight's tie between Estonians Nõmme Kalju and FK Partizani from Albania in the next round to secure a berth in the third qualifying stage.
Having got the nod to spearhead the attack ahead of last week's match-winner Aidan Keena, Melia took just six minutes to open the scoring in the return leg.
Jay McClelland worked the opening by dashing into the box from the left, receiving Kian Leavy's square pass on the run, and when his low shot was parried by Vincentas Šarkauskas, Melia was first to the rebound to tap home.
Joseph Anang in the Saints goal was rarely worked by the Lithuanians. While their side was composed of several nationalities, there was little international experience among them bar the lowly Lithuanian team.
Brazilian Léo Ribeiro fired a warning early in the second half by angling a shot but when his threaded pass failed to find Cameroonian Abdel Kader Njoya ghosting into the box, it was soon punished.
Melia triggered the immediate response on 56 minutes, driving at the defence before freeing Kian Leavy, who took one touch and rifled a rising shot into the roof of the net.
Routine stuff for Saints who will find the going tougher as they work into the competition, starting next Thursday back at Richmond Park.
More to follow…
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Over 50,000 fans welcome home Euros champions England
A hero's welcome greeted England's Lionesses as a reported crowd of over 50,000 lined central London's Mall to celebrate Sunday's historic Euro 2025 final victory over Spain. Less than 48 hours on from the nerve-shredding penalty shootout in Basel that saw Sarina Wiegman's side retain their European crown, throngs of supporters took over the approach to Buckingham Palace as the team paraded the trophy along the famous route from an open-top bus and revelled in an achievement unique in English football. For the first time since England teams began competing at major international tournaments in 1950, a side bearing the three lions returned home victorious as Chloe Kelly's winning kick capped a stunning fightback against the world champions, making Wiegman's players the first to win a tournament outside of England. It was a fitting intervention that, as the bus arrived from the Mall to a specially-erected stage in front of the palace at around 12:20, an overcast sky over London parted for the first time and bathed the European champions in sunshine. Some supporters had waited for 12 hours for captain Leah Williamson and her team. The earliest devotees reportedly set up camp just after midnight in anticipation of the players' arrival on the Mall just past noon, to be joined by fans who had travelled from all over the country and who represented a cross-section of ages and backgrounds. A carnival atmosphere had been heightened at around 11am when footage was shown on a big screen of England's remarkable route through the tournament. From the disappointment of the loss to France with which they began the defence of their title, to the escapology acts of the knockout stages that saw them fight back from the brink of elimination against Sweden and Italy. The England supporters' band – the soundtrack to so many tournament disappointments throughout decades of England teams returning home empty-handed – were in attendance, underscoring the significance to English football of the Lionesses' back-to-back tournament triumphs. Later, the Central Band of the Royal Air Force took over to serenade the players onto stage with a rendition of 'Sweet Caroline'. Addressing the crowd, a visibly emotional Williamson said: "Special people, we love each other, we've got each other's back on and off the pitch. "Everything we do, we do for us and the team but we do it for the country and young girls. This job never existed thirty years ago. This story's not done yet." Wiegman, who was coaxed into dancing by an on-stage appearance from Afrobeat star Burna Boy, said: "We just kept hope and belief and (the players) showed up when it was really necessary and urgent. "There's a huge talent pool in this team. The bonding in this team in this tournament, that made the difference. Everyone was willing to step up and support each other." Kelly, whose goal in the final moment of extra-time put England through against Italy – before hitting the winning penalty in the final – said: "Pressure? What pressure? It feels so good to stand side by side with these girls. Thank you to everyone who got out to support us. It's so f*****g special." Goalkeeper and penalty hero Hannah Hampton said: "Don't let people tell you what you can and can't do. If it makes you happy go and follow that smile." Young player of the tournament Michelle Agyemang, whose equalising goals in the quarter-final and semi-final, said: "It's still surreal. It doesn't even seem real." The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for when Williamson lifted the European Championship trophy high as Buckingham Palace disappeared behind plumes of red and white smoke and 'Sweet Caroline' echoed again over London.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Good news for St Pat's fans ahead of Euro game as live broadcast is confirmed
Fans of St Patrick's Athletic will be able to tune into Thursday's Europa Conference League second-leg against Nomme Kalju. The League of Ireland side has confirmed that the game will be streamed live, with former Saints boss Johnny McDonnell once again on co-commentary duties. Solidsport, the organisation that streamed the away game against Lithuanian side Hegelmann two weeks ago, have stepped up to the plate once again. As they did in the first qualifying round, St Pat's take a 1-0 lead into the away leg. Veteran midfielder Chris Forrester's 90th minute goal at Richmond Park last week finally broke nine-man Kalju's resistance in a game that the Dublin side dominated from start to finish. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . The Estonians will be without suspended pair Rommi Siht and Danyl Mashchenko, who were red carded within five second-half minutes of each other, both for second yellow card offences. Stephen Kenny's side head into the second-leg knowing that an aggregate win will earn them a tie against either Besiktas or Shakhtar Donetsk. The Turkish giants are managed by former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. Fans can purchase the Nomme Kalju match, which will be played at the A Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, here at a cost of €12. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Emotional moment England captain Leah Williamson chokes back tears on stage at parade after Euro 2025 triumph
ENGLAND captain Leah Williamson choked back tears on stage at the victory parade of Euro 2025. The heroic Lionesses were back in London today after their remarkable achievement in Switzerland on Sunday, where they beat Spain on penalties to be named back-to-back European Champions. 1 Leah Williamson choked back tears as she spoke on stage at England's Euro 2025 victory parade The win also saw them become the first senior Three Lions side to win a major competition on foreign soil. They were roared on by thousands of fans as they arrived in front of Buckingham Palace to speak on stage. But during the speech, star defender Williamson choked back tears as she addressed fans. Williamson, 28, came out to the stage by the Queen Victoria Memorial with the Euro 2025 trophy in hand. The Arsenal star was visibly emotional as she thanked the crowd for their support. Speaking to presenter and former Lioness Alex Scott, she said: "I'm holding back tears. I've been crying all down The Mall. "There are many ways to win a football match. And we always chose the tough one." THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. Most read in Football The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at
