Conference League qualifiers: St Pat's fall behind to Besiktas in Tallaght as Shamrock Rovers contain Ballkani
St Patrick's Athletic take on the might of Turkish side Besiktas, managed by Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while in Kosovo, Shamrock Rovers face Ballkani in tonight's Uefa Conference League third qualifying round first legs.
Stephen Kenny's Saints will be up against a stellar Besiktas side at a packed Tallaght Stadium, while Rovers will be aiming to keep their tie alive for next week's second leg at home.
Rovers kick-off at 7.30pm Irish time, while St Pat's v Besiktas kicks off at 7.45pm in Tallaght and you can catch all the action here.
Uefa Conference League third qualifying round:
Ballkani 0 - Shamrock Rovers 0 (7.30pm) (31 mins)
St.Patrick's Athletic 0 - Besiktas 2 (7.45pm) (18 mins)
4 minutes ago
St.Patrick's Athletic 0 - Besiktas 2 (14 mins)
GOAL! A second goal for Besiktas as Ernest Muci threads a wonderful ball through to the marauding full-back Jonas Svensson. The Norwegian lifts his head and crosses centrally where Joseph Anang gets a touch to it, but the ball falls kindly for Tammy Abraham who rifles home into an empty net.
7 minutes ago
26' Decent moment for the Hoops as Darragh Nugent digs out a cross for Rory Gaffney in the box. The 35-year-old marksman can't quite extend his neck muscles to get to it. Chance evaporates.
9 minutes ago
24' Ballkani continue to take the game to Shamrock Rovers so far, but they've yet to create a true goal-scoring opportunity since the low cross from Kryeziu to Adetunji.
10 minutes ago
St.Patrick's Athletic 0 - Besiktas 1 (9 mins)
GOAL! The Turkish side have broken the deadlock in Tallaght and it's a soft goal to concede from a Saints perspective. Ernest Muci was given space to run into on the right before pulling a pass across the edge of the 18-yard-box.
The ball bobbled into the patch of ex-Benfica and West Ham midfielder Joao Mario who found the net with the aid of a deflection.
League of Ireland on Twitter / X
8' | First blood to Beşiktaş. João Mário with the goal for the visitors.STP 0-1 BJK pic.twitter.com/2PlRFk0WjR— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) August 7, 2025
13 minutes ago
St.Patrick's Athletic 0 - Besiktas 0 (6 mins)
St.Pat's have held their own in Tallaght so far. Besiktas just unleashed their first shtike on goal through Jonas Svensson who stung the palms of Joseph Anang, but a foul was given by the Slovenian arbiter for a push in the back of Jason McClelland.
17 minutes ago
15' SAVE! Ed McGinty is tested again with a powerful effort from right-back Geralb Smajli who tried his luck from range. The 26-year-old gets his body behind it and gathers at the second attempt.
A minute later Hoops' skipper Roberto Lopes picks up a yellow card for a hefty challenge.
21 minutes ago
12' CLOSE! Best chance of the game thus far as Almir Kryeziu finds space down the left-hand side of the Hoops rearguard. The Kosovan winger tried to square it for the onrushing Adetunji, but Ed McGinty got a vital touch to redirect the cross.
22 minutes ago
Impressive tifo display from St Pat's fans:
25 minutes ago
John McKenna and his wife Namu Kwon:
'We're the first Rovers supporters in. Officials here super helpful. Wouldn't take money for letting us in.'
26 minutes ago
There's no shortage of talent at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's disposal as Besiktas roll into town with Mert Gunok getting the nod in goals, while ex-Arsenal centre-half Gabriel Paulista is joined by Jonas Svensson in defence.
Orkun Kokcu slots into the double pivot behind Portuguese internationals Rafa Silva and Joao Mario, while ex-Chelsea marksman Tammy Abraham leads the line.
Former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is one of few noticeable absentees for the Turkish giants:
Beşiktaş JK on Twitter / X
BEŞİKTAŞ XI 🦅⬛⬜ @HondaTR pic.twitter.com/nSloVePJ9A— Beşiktaş JK (@Besiktas) August 7, 2025
27 minutes ago
HERE'S HOW THE SAINTS LINE UP:
With a big challenge against Turkish opposition this evening, Stephen Kenny has made three changes from his side that defeated Waterford 2-0 last Sunday. Joseph Anang remains between the posts, while Ryan McLaughlin and Jason McClelland take up full-back positions.
Sam Grivosti joins captain Joe Redmond in defence, with an unchanged midfield of Forrester, Lennon and Leavy. Up top, Jake Mulraney and Mason Melia are joined by the incoming Simon Power.
Zach Elbouzedi (shoulder) and Romal Palmer are unavailable through injury:
St Patrick's Athletic FC on Twitter / X
Our Saints to face BeşiktaşChris Forrester comes in for Barry Baggley in our only change from last week's win in Estonia A strong bench includes new boys Darren Robinson & Jordon Garrick & Academy teenagers Kian Quigley & Billy Hayes #StPatsFC 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/3hzXzVjRWc— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) August 7, 2025
27 minutes ago
5' Ballkani have been the dominant force so far, with last season's top-scorer Sunday Adetunji causing some problems with his pace in behind the Hoops defence.
31 minutes ago
1' The first-half gets underway in Kosovo!
The man in the middle with the whistle this evening is Dmytro Panchyshyn who forms an all-Ukrainian refereeing ticket with assistants Oleksii Myronov and Volodymyr Vysotskyi.
It's pretty much the perfect night for football in the town of Suhareka in southern Kosovo. However, the climate is remarkably different for the travelling Hoops players and fans. Temperatures still remain slightly above 22 degrees with little to no breeze and night skies overhead.
37 minutes ago
BALLKANI'S TEAM TONIGHT:
Last season's runners-up in the Kosovan league are yet to return for the new season, but European action has kept them sharp. Tonight, head coach Orges Shehi lines his team out as follows in a 4-3-3 formation with Adnan Golubovic between the posts, captain Arber Potoku starts at left-back, with Brazilian threat Giovanni in midfield and last season's club top-scorer Sunday Adetunji leading the line.
39 minutes ago
SHAMROCK ROVERS LINE-UP:
Head coach Stephen Bradley sets his team up as follows with a solitary alteration from his team that defeated Derry City 2-0 last Sunday. Ed McGinty starts in goals, with Pico Lopes captain on the evening alongside Dan Cleary and Lee Grace
Darragh Nugent replaces Aaron McEneff in a midfield boasting Josh Honohan, Matt Healy, Danny Mandroiu and Dylan Watts, while Danny Grant and Rory Gaffney spearhead the forward line. UEFA graphics suggest a 3-5-2 formation:
Shamrock Rovers FC on Twitter / X
🟢 TEAM NEWS ⚪️Your Hoops XI to face Ballkani this evening 👊🏼☘️#RoversInEurope 🟢 || @sharp_security pic.twitter.com/ub2cLCoocd— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) August 7, 2025
41 minutes ago
A strong message of support from Besiktas during their warm up:
And a message from the Beşiktaş players before they warmed up, with a show of solidarity to those suffering in Gaza they came out with training tops saying 'stop crimes against humanity' and 'enough is enough'.
Presumably to avoid any UEFA sanction, they removed the tops before they started their warm-up.
44 minutes ago
Since touching down in Dublin, Besiktas boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he spoke to the FAI about managing the Republic of Ireland before Hallgrimsson was appointed:
'We had some good chats' – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms FAI approached him about succeeding Stephen Kenny
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that he spoke to the FAI about the managerial vacancy with the Republic of Ireland before they hired Heimir Hallgrimsson.
www.independent.ie
46 minutes ago
Aidan Fitzmaurice is in Tallaght this evening:
The Besiktas lineup is a sign of their squad strength but also how seriously Solskjaer is taking this tie.
He has named an XI with 10 senior internationals, four from Turkey, two from Portugal (Rafa Silva, Joao Mario), one each from Czech Republic (David Jurasek), Norway (Jonas Svensson), England (Tammy Abraham) and Albania (Ernest Muci).
Gabriel Paulista, who was once named in a squad by Brazil boss Dunga but never capped (and who later declared for Spain in the hope of having an international career) is the only one not capped at senior level.
48 minutes ago
Aidan Fitzmaurice treats our readers to the big preview detailing all you need to know ahead of St.Pat's clash with Besiktas:
St Pat's v Besiktas preview: Saints eyeing 'one of great victories in Irish football history' against Turkish giants
Stephen Kenny's vast experience as a manager in European competition, a road that began for him with Longford Town against Bulgarian opposition 24 years ago, has taught him a thing or two.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
37 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Linda Djougang: I was googling 'what is rugby?'
The last time Ireland qualified for the World Cup - as opposed to being guaranteed their slot as hosts - Linda Djougang wasn't entirely plugged in to what was happening. It was only a year later when the future Ireland prop would type the fateful words 'what is rugby?' into Google after failing in her attempt to get her name removed from a tag rugby team-sheet at a finance company where she was interning. Her complete ignorance of the laws of offside notwithstanding, the Wanderers head coach - who happened to be there - liked her hustle and asked if she'd be interested in playing a spot of 'real rugby'. Cue more googling. "It wasn't the plan," Djougang says of her start in the game back in 2015. "I signed up for tag rugby just to make friends with my colleagues at work. The game was cancelled and everyone else removed their name from the list. "But the elite team - at the company - were playing a final and they needed a girl and I was the only one that didn't remove my name from the sheet because I wasn't good at technology. "So, they were like, 'who's Linda? Do you want to play in this tag rugby final?' 'Yeah, why not?' "They were like, 'do you know rugby? Have you ever learned to play rugby?' 'No.' "I spent the whole day at work, googling 'what is rugby?' "I showed up at Wanderers, which became my first rugby club. I didn't know any of the rules. I was always offside. The ref was like, 'if you're offside one more time, I'm going to give you a yellow card.' "Then my friend passed me the ball and I ran the pitch. They were all screaming at me to score. I dropped the ball because I didn't know the rule about grounding the ball. "I got recruited there by the Wanderers manager. She came up to me after that tag rugby and asked if I wanted to play physical rugby. Real rugby. I asked her, 'what was real rugby?' "I ended up playing for Wanderers in Division 4. I got recruited to go to the Leinster trials. Then I went on to Old Belvedere and Leinster and that's where my journey started." Djougang's technological issues have proven fortunate for Irish women's rugby. The Cameroon-born prop - who moved to Rush in North County Dublin at the age of nine - has been a mainstay of the Irish set-up since 2019 and is now closing on 50 caps. She's battled through lean times in the Irish set-up to get back to the World Cup. The early 2020s were a dismal period for the women's game here, dominated by arguments with the IRFU, the low point arriving with the failure to qualify for the 2022 Women's World Cup after losses to Spain and Scotland in the autumn qualifying tournament of 2021. A further nadir was reached with a wooden spoon in the 2023 Six Nations - which was juxtaposed with the men's team's Grand Slam victory in the same year. But things have taken an upward turn since then, following the appointment of Scott Bemand as head coach in the summer of 2023 and the decision to award central contracts to women internationals bearing fruit. Ireland finished the 2024 Six Nations with a rousing win over Scotland to claim third spot. Their recovery was confirmed with a superb showing in the WXV1 in British Columbia last year, with a landmark victory over New Zealand the highlight. Another third place followed at the 2025 Six Nations, even if that campaign concluded on a bum note with a loss to Scotland. "There's so many turning points," says Djougang. "But the main one was the introduction of the contracts, first of all. Also, the fact that we were so successful in Dubai (at the 2023 WXV3). "There's been so much growth with the team. The fact that we've beaten the world champions. We came second in Vancouver. Winning against New Zealand was a massive moment for the players. We finished third in the Six Nations. "We went to Vancouver as underdogs. Now we're definitely not underdogs. And we don't want to be underdogs." It was the pool stage win over New Zealand in 2014 - back in the heady days of the mid-2010s - that propelled Irish women's rugby into the limelight. That guaranteed a semi-final spot in what was then a 12-team tournament, with eventual champions England proving much too strong in the last-four. Back in the World Cup for the first time since the ill-fated home tournament of 2017, Ireland's opening games are against Japan and Spain at Franklin's Gardens before facing off against top seeds New Zealand in Brighton. Navigating the pool is the main priority at this stage. "We're trying not to get ahead of ourselves," says Djougang. "It's so important to get out of our pool. That's the most important thing for us. First up is Japan and we know what they can bring. "We don't want to think way ahead of ourselves because the World Cup is so unpredictable." Djougang has competition in the prop department from Ellena Perry, the former England forward having made her debut for Ireland against Canada last Saturday, after switching her allegience and waiting for the requisite five years. "She's settling in the squad well. She's a quick learner. We love having her, she's challenging us and we're challenging her. We're so happy to have her." Ireland v Japan, Franklin's Gardens, Northampton, Sunday, 24 August, 12pm Ireland v Spain, Franklin's Gardens, Northampton, Sunday, 31 August, 12pm Ireland v New Zealand, Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium, Brighton, Sunday, 7 September, 2.45pm.
RTÉ News
37 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Shelbourne ready to go again for next European assignment
It was a case of so close, yet so far as Shelbourne's Europa League dream ended on a dramatic and memorable night at Tolka Park, yet ambitions of Conference football will now become the focus of attention. The surprise 2-1 away win against Croatian champions Rijeka meant Joey O'Brien's side entered the third qualifying round second leg full of hope. The visitors demonstrated their class with some superb goals on Irish soil, but Mipo Odubeko's penalty, after a lengthy VAR consultation, appeared to send the game to extra-time and keep alive the League of Ireland side's hopes of a €3.8m windfall if they could finish the job off. Ante Orec, however, proved to be the villain at Tolka Park, blasting into the bottom corner in the 90th minute to consign Shels to the Conference League play-offs. Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue after the game, Shels midfielder Kerr McInroy lamented the outcome. "We're really disappointed with the result. They're obviously a really good side and showed that," he said. "It was a difficult game. I thought we did ourselves proud over the two legs, but it wasn't to be." Just three minutes into the contest and loud calls for a penalty after visiting goalkeeper Martin Zlomislic collided with Ali Coote fell on deaf ears. Referee Marian Barbu however was uninterested and it was Rijeka that would open the scoring. "We wanted to start the game well, and we did that," the Scottish midfielder said. "That was a big chance for us, but it wasn't to be. They got the first goal, and it was a sucker-punch for us." On the flip side, Mipo's 86th-minute penalty shifted the momentum back to the hosts as the home crowd started to consider extra-time and penalties to settle the tie. "It was a bit bizarre," he said of the lengthy VAR wait before awarding the penalty. "It felt like it went on forever. Once they went to the monitor, I had a gut feeling it would be given. When it went in, the place was rocking and I felt the momentum switched to us, but it wasn't to be." Now Shels will meet Linfield, who they overcame in a Champions League qualifier last month, or Faroese outfit Vikingur for a far more winnable game and Conference League group combat after 10 matches to get there. The Europa League exit – particularly the manner of it – will hurt, but the 24-year-old is already looking to the next European opportunity. "We'll see how that tie (between Linfield and Vikingur) pans out, but it's another opportunity after we'll dust ourselves down from this. "That's what we're looking forward to now."
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork hurling fans' spending in Dublin plummeted following All-Ireland defeat
Disappointed Cork hurling fans' spending in Dublin plummeted following their county's All-Ireland final defeat compared to how much they splashed out following their semi-final win. According to its data, AIB's Cork customers spent €920,000 in Dublin on July 5, the day of the All-Ireland semi-final victory over Dublin. However, on July 20, the day Cork lost to Tipperary in the final, it fell by 13%. In contrast, Tipperary fans spent 27% more on the day their team claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup than they had on the day of their semi-final win over Kilkenny on July 6. During the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final on July 27, Donegal fans spent 12% more in Dublin compared to the Kerry fans, despite their team losing on the day. Overall, AIB's Spend Trend showed customer spending in July was up 9% compared to the same month in 2024. Online spend has been growing more strongly, up 14%, than in-store spend, up 4%, over the 12 months. The average in-store transaction was €28.80 compared to €96.90 for the average online transaction. AIB's head of consumer Adrian Moynihan said the data highlighted the 'resilience of consumer confidence'. 'While the hospitality sector experienced mixed results, with pub spending down but restaurant and hotel spending up, the data underscores the dynamic nature of consumer behaviour during the peak tourist season,' he added. Spending in pubs was down 9% compared to last year, whereas restaurant spend was up 10% and the amount of money spent in Irish hotels was up 3%. Groceries was one of few sectors where in-store spend held up strongly, with spending 6% higher overall, and 93% of those purchases made in stores rather than online. Spending on clothing rose just 1% in July compared to the same month a year ago. Entertainment spending was up 8% in July, while health spending rose by 7%. The data was compiled from 78 million card transactions carried out by AIB customers in store and online during July 2025.
