St Pat's journey in Europa Conference League all-but over as Tammy Abraham hat-trick leads Besiktas to hammering

The Irish Sun

a day ago

Besiktas played like a team full of internationals and still smarting at their Europa League elimination
ST PAT'S 1-4 BESIKTAS St Pat's journey in Europa Conference League all-but over as Tammy Abraham hat-trick leads Besiktas to hammering
SHELS sprung a shock on Wednesday but St Patrick's Athletic were just shelshocked on Thursday.
The League of Ireland may punch above its weight in European competition - but sometimes the gap is just too big as Besiktas, Tammy Abraham and co proved on Thursday night.
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St Patrick's Athletic were hammered by Besiktas
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Tammy Abraham scored a hat-trick
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Shelbourne's superb victory over Croatians Rijeka in the Europa League on Wednesday night was a great night for the league and showed how Irish sides can compete at the top level.
That could have given St Patrick's Athletic - who provided enough of their own great results over the years - confidence, and then Besiktas destroyed them in in the first half.
Abraham scored a first half hat-trick as the Turks - managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored four - and it could have been more.
In the press box, the stats were being checked to see what were the heaviest home defeats for League of Ireland sides in Europe.
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It was a fair reflection on the game too as Besiktas played like a team full of internationals and still smarting at their Europa League elimination by Shakhtar Donetsk last week because they host the final this season.
Yet whether they were guilty of easing off after the break or Stephen Kenny's switch to a back five after the break, the Saints gave as good as they got and won the second half.
Simon Power scored early while Mason Melia and Chris Forrester also had chances.
But in truth, Besikitas never looked worried that the Saints were about to produce a miracle comeback.
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Yet did give many of the 7,821 in attendance something to cheer and means the Saints head to Istanbul next week knowing an early goal will give the Turks a scare.
Still, the Turks will expect to run out in Istanbul with the same intensity they showed in the first half and win easily.
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The rout started after just eight minutes when one ball sent Ernest Muci clear on the right and his cut back found Portuguese playmaker Rafa Silva.
He had plenty of time but instantly flicked the ball behind him to left winger Joao Mario whose first time shot took a deflection off Joe Redmond and beyond Joe Anang.
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If the Saints could feel hard done by for the first finish, there was no sympathy when the second was belted in by Abraham on 15 minutes.
Again, the attack came down the right as Jonas Svensson and he dinked in a cross that was just within Anang's reach.
But it was not close enough for the Saints' goalkeeper to grasp as he could only help the ball onto the loitering Abraham's chest before the England man belted it over the line.
Abraham's second arrived on 23 minutes when he finished with a cool dink beyond Anang after proving too strong for Tom Grivosti.
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And he completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 43 minutes after he was tripped by Jamie Lennon inside the box.
But in truth, Besiktas could have been even more comfortably in front in the first half as Anang also made stops from Rafa Silva, Orkun Kokcu and Demir Ege Tiknaz.
Sure, all the saves were routine. But that all three efforts were from central areas inside the penalty area from crosses highlighted the ease at which St Pat's were were torn apart.
The Saints did have the ball in the net once in the first half though the whistle had gone for a foul by Redmond long beforehand with what was one of the few times they threatened.
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More often than not, the hosts could not make an impact on the game.
And when they did get into attacking positions, their crossing was poor with Mason Melia - namechecked by Solskjaer as a threat beforehand - not given any sight of goal.
But boss Stephen Kenny made changes at half-time bringing on Luke Turner and Axel Sjoberg and switching to a back five.
And it worked instantly as the Saints pulled a goal back when McClelland's ball down the line sent Power sprinting clear on the left.
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Power is the fastest player in the League of Ireland and Besiktas had no defender who could keep up with him as he coolly beat goalkeeper Merk Gunok at his near post.
That lifted the mood among the home fans and the home side as St Pat's then began playing with much more purpose than at any point in the first half.
And they could have pulled a second goal back on 55 minutes when Merk Gunok was relieved Melia shot straight at him from ten-yards when he was picked out by Sjoberg.
Late on, Forrester also had a shot saved after a quick free kick put him through though Besikitas looked composed as substitute Keny Arroyo had a late shot cleared off the line.
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SUN STAR MAN
Tammy Abraham (Besiktas)
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Anang 5; McLaughlin 5, Redmond 6, Grivosti 4 (Turner ht, 6), McClelland 5; Forrester 6 (Baggley 82, 6), Lennon 5; Mulraney 4 (Sjoberg ht, 6), Leavy 6 (Carty 82, 6), Power 6; Melia 6 (Kavanagh 88, 6)
BESIKTAS: Mert Gunok 7; Svensson 7 (Tayfur Bingol ht, 6), Paulista 7, Emirhan Topcu 7, Jurasek 7 (Talha Sanuc 90, 6); Ege Tiknaz 7 (Kartal Yilmaz 76, 6), Orkun Kokcu 8 (Hadziahmetovic 90, 6); Muci 8 (Arroyo 59, 6), Rafa Silva 8, Mario 7; Abraham 9.
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REFEREE: D Smajc (Slovenia) 6.