Chris Forrester breaks nine-man Nomme Kalju's resolve as St Patrick's Athletic clinch late win in Conference League

The Irish Sun

6 days ago

CHRIS FORRESTER caught Nomme Kalju with their pants down after the Estonians were told to pull up their socks.
Substitute Forrester scored in the dying seconds to finally break the resistance of a team which played with just NINE men for the last 20 minutes.
2
St Patrick's Athletic beat Nomme Kalju in the Conference League
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
2
Chris Forrester scored the winner
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
It sparked relief at Richmond Park although there will still be frustration that they did not win by a bigger margin given how the numbers were in their favour - and Brandon Kavanagh,
Jake
Mulraney and
Simon
Power all went close after the goal.
Kalju's poor discipline was underlined when Oleksandr Musolitin was booked by the referee after he had to be told for a second time that his socks were too low.
He did not reappear after the restart with both Rommi Siht and Danyl Mashchenko sent off after the break.
But the players who stayed on did a heroic job of trying to keep the hosts at bay and almost pulled it off with the tie still very much alive ahead of the return leg
next
Thursday.
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Kallju keeper Maksim Pavlov looked vulnerable early on and, in quick
succession
, he scooped speculative efforts from
Jason
McClelland and Barry Baggley over the bar at the expense of a corner but St Pat's were unable to profit from either set-piece.
Nor could anyone punish Pavlov when he dropped a cross from McClelland.
For all their possession, St Pat's were not carving Kalju open which led to a growing frustration in the stands.
And, when someone finally decided to try to make something happen, it did not end well.
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Zach Elbouzedi dribbled at speed from his own half and was cynically pulled down by Mashchenko although there was enough cover nearby for it not to warrant more than a yellow card.
But it ended Elbouzedi's evening and will likely be sidelined for some time as it looked as though he may have broken his wrist when he fell with Mulraney sent on in his place.
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Mulraney had his moments with one effort comfortably dealt with by Pavlov whilst Melia had a similar run to Elbouzedi but opted to shoot when he had options either side with Maksim Podholjuzin able to block his effort.
There was a second encounter between the pair just before the break when the centre-half fouled him.
Referee Ladislav Szikszay signalled he was playing advantage but the call did St Pat's no favours as the way ball spun up to Kian Leavy he was unable to control it.
A booking for the Kalju captain would have been deserved but did not materialise. He was unable to continue, however, having hurt himself in making
the challenge
.
St Pat's needed to up the tempo after the break and they did. Kalju carried more of a threat than they had done but were undermined by their rash challenges which saw two players sent off.
Soon after the restart, Melia headed Mulraney's cross straight into Pavlov's arms.
But, at the other end, it needed a block from Tom Grivosti to deny Krijstan Kask after good
work
by Nikita Ivanov and Daniel Tarassenkov.
McClelland then twice went close, first with a shot with the outside of his foot and then with a header from a corner which St Pat's claimed, to no avail, was blocked by a hand.
Kalju countered with Tarassenkov narrowly failing to connect with a volley but, after that, things started to unravel for the visitors.
Smit was booked twice in nine minutes for an aerial challenge on Power when he led with his arm and for tripping Baggley.
Five minutes later, they were down to nine men when Mashchenko was cautioned for tripping Mulraney in full flow.
Pat's did create chances with a Leavy off
target
with a header and a low shot while Melia narrowly failed to connect with a Power cross with a series of other shots blocked by the tiring Kalju players.
Eventually, though, the breakthrough came when Forrester kept his composure after Pavlov had beaten away Conor Carty's effort.
SUN
STAR
MAN:
Jason McClelland (St Pat's)
ST PAT'S
: Anang 7; McLaughlin 7 (Keena 71, 6), Grivosti 7, Redmond 7, McClelland 7; Baggley 7, Lennon 7 (Forrester 79, 6); Elbouzedi 6 (Mulraney 24, 6), Leavy 6 (Kavanagh 79, 5), Power 7; Melia 6(Carty 79, 5).
NOMME KALJU
: Pavlov 5; Tarassenkov 6, Maschenko 5, Podholjuzin 5 (Korre 45, 7), Tambedou 7, Siht 5; Musolitin 5 (Nikolajev 46, 6), Kask 7; Patrikejevs 6 (Liit 72, 5), Ivanov 6 (Smith 62, 6); Mannilaan 7.
REFEREE
: L Szikszay (Czechia) 5