‘That's a big game' – Stephen Kenny insists St Pat's ‘can't look beyond' Sligo Rovers after Besiktas hammering
STEPHEN KENNY says his side must move on fast from a night of chasing shadows against Besiktas in order quickly to qualify for Europe again.
The Saints are back in league action tomorrow when they host Sligo Rovers days after a 4-1 loss to the Turkish giants.
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Stephen Kenny urged St Pat's to bounce back against Sligo Rovers
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
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Pat's were hammered 4-1 by Besiktas
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
It was a tough night for Kenny's men as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Besiktas scored four goals before half-time, including a Tammy Abraham hat-trick.
And the Saints boss acknowledged that his team got exactly what they deserved in their Conference League third-round qualifier first leg.
He said: 'Besiktas were far superior. We were second best. We didn't bring the level of physical intensity that we need to.
'We were well off in the first half, well off them physically.
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'We were very disappointed to lose in that manner in the first half.
'We were struggling to deal with their front four. We struggled to deal with Abraham. A couple of goals could have been defended better.'
The Saints were better after the break as Simon Power pulled a goal back.
Kenny added: 'I said to the players at half- time that we were hugely disappointed in the first half and if we weren't careful we could get a severe hiding.
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'We needed to try and win the second half. We did that, which is something, but it's not enough.'
Kenny's men travel to Turkey on Thursday but he is more focused on his team putting this week's rout behind them to ensure there are better European nights in 2026.
Watch hilarious moment Stephen Kenny bumped into Alan Reynolds on the street before Dublin derby
Currently sixth, the Saints have suffered from inconsistency this season.
But this time last year, they were in a worse position only to reel off nine wins in a row to go from eighth to third.
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Focusing on tomorrow's clash in Inchicore, Kenny said: 'Sligo is obviously a huge game for us. We needed to win that game in Waterford last week. We did win that. We need to try and beat Sligo on Sunday at home.
'We've got to physically get ready after a tough night and try and get the performance that we need.
'Our squad has been tested with a few long-term injuries, but we have to have determination to do that. We can't look beyond Sligo. That's a big game for us.'
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The Irish Sun
3 minutes ago
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34 minutes ago
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