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The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'That will do wonders for his confidence, the only thing he's lacking has been goals'
STEPHEN KENNY HAILED his side's performance after St Patrick's Athletic beat Hegelmann 2-0 in Lithuania to secure their place in the second qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League and net a minimum of €700,000. Goals in either half from Kian Leavy and Mason Melia, coupled with Aidan Keena's first-leg penalty, ensured the Dublin side secured a convincing 3-0 aggregate win. The second goal on the night was particularly well-worked by a team who had scored just once in six Premier Division matches before this tie. 'It's a brilliant finish by Kian, a good pass by Mason,' Kenny said afterwards. 'We are delighted to win home and away and keep clean sheets back to back in Europe, four clean sheets in a row [overall]. The players are defending well, and to win is a great boost because it's difficult to win home and away in Europe, no matter who you are playing.' 😍 The assist by Melia 🎯 The finish by Leavy ⚽️⚽️ The Saints double their advantage on the night & now lead 3-0 on aggregate Our 2025 Goals are sponsored by @kavanaghspubd8 #StPatsFC 🔴⚪️ — St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 17, 2025 Kenny hailed Leavy in particular. The 23-year-old midfielder missed out on a starting XI spot in the first leg, but his performance this evening suggests he will retain his place for the foreseeable future. In addition to his clinical finish to double the Saints' advantage on the night, he had a hand in the opener with a mazy run and clever pass from which Jason McClelland's low shot was poked home by an alert Melia on the rebound. Advertisement 'We hit a barren period, but overall, we are a team that, over the last year, has scored a high number of goals. We have to get back on track now because that was expensive for us, in league terms. 'But tonight is about the European game, and that was a tough game for periods, but we played and controlled it really well. Without doubt, the standout performer — the player who caught the eye most was Kian Leavy — his influence on the night and the goal rounded it off for him, his first European goal. 'I think Kian is a good striker of the ball. Sometimes he's reluctant because he's so fast running with it, he doesn't get it out of his stride to strike it. He keeps his control so close to his feet, but tonight in the second half, he had one brilliant strike from 25 yards, where he got into his stride and connected brilliantly with it, and it's just wide; he missed the top corner. 'After that, he got on the end of Mason's pass and finished really well, that will do wonders for his confidence, the only thing he's lacking has been goals, he scored against Galway earlier in the season. That goal was brilliant for him, and hopefully he'll kick on. 'It's very unusual to get players who can dribble from central areas. He was very effective tonight.' Our opener in Lithuania thanks to Mason Melia's close range finish, a first European goal for the 17-year-old after great work by Leavy & McClelland in the build-up Our 2025 Goals are sponsored by @kavanaghspubd8 #StPatsFC 🔴⚪️ — St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 17, 2025 Kenny was similarly pleased with Melia. After Keena came off the bench to score the winner in the first leg, the Dubliner might have been tempted to start the Mullingar man, but the manager's faith in the 17-year-old was ultimately rewarded. 'Every goal doesn't have to be a brilliant finish. There is nothing wrong with finishing in the six-yard box…striker's goals. We've been lacking those types of goals. Jason McClelland did brilliantly, and he was in there to finish it. 'He won't get an easier goal, but it's because he read the situation and he anticipated it, and that's a good sign. There are more goals like that for him if he continues to react like that. 'Aidan Keena has been doing well as well, pushing Mason. It's a collective effort. Aidan got the goal to give us the big win we needed, a pressure goal in Richmond Park last week, and Mason was on hand to get the goal tonight, so it's good to have both strikers contributing.' Kenny also paid tribute to Chris Forrester, after the 32-year-old came off the bench to make a club-record-breaking 25th European appearance. 'It's been a milestone week for him. His 400th appearance for the club last week, and also his 25th today in Europe. '[Former Pat's player] Ian Bermingham, of course, was in Tirana tonight for us as it happens. While he was in Tirana, his record was taken away from him by his good friend, Chris. So it's a great achievement, and hopefully, there's more for him there.' Bermingham, who is Head of Academy Football at Pat's, was in Albania to watch Partizani Tirana play Nõmme Kalju. The Estonian side won 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate after extra time to set up a second-round clash with Pat's.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
St Pat's next Euro opponents confirmed as Kenny hails return to goalscoring form
Stephen Kenny has hailed St Patrick's Athletic's return to goalscoring form as Mason Melia and Kian Leavy fired the Inchicore side into the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. The Saints completed a comfortable 3-0 aggregate win over Lithuanian side FC Hegelmann, winning 2-0 away from home thanks to goals early in each half by the young attacking pair. They will take on Estonian side Kalju, who saw off Albanian outfit Partizani in extra-time, next week in the first-leg, with that game taking place in Richmond Park. READ MORE: Golfer Jon Rahm rages at 'whistler' in crowd after wild tee shot on opening round at The Open READ MORE: Former Shamrock Rovers and Inter Milan youngster scores in trial game for Sligo Rovers Tottenham-bound teenager Melia scored his first ever European goal and he teed up his teammate Leavy for the second. Kenny said: 'We have to get back on track now because obviously that was expensive for us, in terms of league points, 'But tonight is about the European game and that was a tough game for periods but we played and controlled it really well. 'Without doubt the standout performer - the player who caught the eye most was Kian Leavy - his influence on the night and the goal rounded it off for him, his first European goal.' Melia showed his poaching instincts to score from close range and Kenny was also delighted with his performance. 'Every goal doesn't have to be a brilliant finish. There is nothing wrong with finishing in the six yard box, striker's goals. We've been lacking those types of goals,' he said. 'Jason McClelland did brilliant, a good strike that the keeper palmed and he (Melia) was in there to finish it.' Kenny added: 'He was sharp onto it alright. He won't get an easier goal, but it's because he read the situation and he anticipated it, and that's a good side. 'There are more goals like that for him if he continues to react like that. He reacted in a way you want a striker to react and thankfully we got the goal.' The Pat's boss sent in Chris Forrester with 11 minutes remaining, for a little piece of St Pat's history. Forrester's 25th European appearance means he has played more times in continental games than anyone else for the Richmond Park outfit. And the man whose record he took, Ian Bermingham, was in Tirana scouting next week's opponents. 'It's been a milestone week for him,' said Kenny. 'Obviously, his 400th appearance last week, and also his 25th today in Europe, which is a record for St Patrick's Athletic. 'His good friend Ian Bermingham, of course, was in Tirana tonight for us as it happens. 'While he was in Tirana, his record was taken away from him by his good friend, Chris. So it's a great achievement, and hopefully, there's more for him there.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Leavy and Melia lead the way as classy St Pat's march on in Europe
Uefa Conference League, first-round qualifier, second leg Hegelmann 0 St Patrick's Athletic 2 St Patrick's Athletic win 3-0 on aggregate THIS WAS CLASSY and clinical from St Patrick's Athletic as they cut through Heglemann on their own patch to begin what they hope to be a resurgence in their season. Mason Melia and Kian Leavy did the damage with a goal each and all-round performances that were beguiling. Stephen Kenny has said his players have been doing all the right things during their sticky patch in the Premier Division and this display backed up such belief as the European campaign goes on. This was an Irish side going to Lithuania and looking stronger in every element of the game – tactically, physically and technically. The first leg was a story of missed opportunities but after six minutes of the return St Pat's were sharp and ruthless and, crucially, leading by two legs in the tie. The excellent Leavy started with purpose, perhaps with a point to prove given he was the one change to the starting XI in Dublin and began in place of Brandon Kavanagh. He drifted dangerously and blithely across the final third, taking the ball with his back to goal or turning and running with impressive decisiveness. It was this willingness to act on the front foot that created the opening goal, cutting in from the right wing, across the penalty box and getting his head up and the perfect time to see the run of Jason McClelland between two ball-watching Heglemann defenders. 😍 The assist by Melia 🎯 The finish by Leavy ⚽️⚽️ The Saints double their advantage on the night & now lead 3-0 on aggregate Our 2025 Goals are sponsored by @kavanaghspubd8 #StPatsFC 🔴⚪️ — St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 17, 2025 The left back faked to take the shot first time, his marker stuttered just enough to allow him take a touch and powerful shot that was palmed by the goalkeeper straight into the path of the on-rushing Melia who tapped home inside the six-yard box. It was the perfect start to soothe any nerves and allow the Pat's players settle into their groove. Advertisement Leavy typified this confidence and spent the half with his head on a swivel and defenders with blurred vision trying to keep up his quick feet. The manner in which Pat's completely took charge of the game bodes well as their European run now sets to continue into the second qualifying round of this competition. At least €700,000 has been banked and with their opponents to be confirmed later this evening – the winner of Partizani from Albania and Estonia's Nõmme Kalju FC await – Kenny's side look to have rediscovered their mojo in the final third at just the right time. On the evidence of this performance it's baffling to realise Pat's had scored just once in 10 hours of football prior to the first leg. In Lithuania it looked as though they were capable of carving Hegelmann open at every opportunity. The way in which they made certain of progress with a second goal of the evening on 56 minutes illustrated the gulf in class, and there was no surprise to see Melia and Leavy combine to such devasting effect. The 17-year-old striker dropped into the centre circle, recieved a pass under pressure but had the close control and running ability to sprint away from pressure and end up on the opponents' 18-yard box within a matter of seconds. After doing all that hard work he maintained his cool to play an easy pass to his left for Melia. Others might well have overhit or miscued the ball after expending such energy but instead it was ideal for Leavy to take one touch, swivel his hips and leave a defender on the astro, then carefully rifle a finish into the roof of the net. It was lethal all round and the end of whatever resistance was left from the home side had wilted. Yet another clean sheet was never in danger for the Saints. The hosts were lucky not to concede a penalty when Melia was body checked in the box, and by that stage it was game-management for the Saints. Chris Forrester's substitute appearance on 80 minutes means he now holds the record for Pat's in Europe with 25. There will be at least two more opportunities to add to that tally and if this is the start of a resurgence who knows when it will end. Hegelmann: Vincentas Sarkauskas; Klaudijus Upstas, Vilius Armalas, Nikola Doric, Carlos Duke; Domantas Antanavicius, Lazar Kojic, Artem Shchedryi; Donatas Kazlauskas, Kader Njoya Abdel, Leo Ribeiro. St Patrick's Athletic: Joey Anang; Ryan McLaughlin, Joe Redmond (captain), Tom Grivosti, Jason McClelland (Anto Breslin 80); Jake Mulraney (Zach Elbouzedi HT), Barry Baggley, Jamie Lennon, Kian Leavy (Al-Amin Kazeem 88), Simon Power (Chris Forrester 80); Mason Melia (Aidan Keena 72). Referee: Mads Kristoffersen (Den).
The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
D-Day for Stephen Kenny and St Pat's in €700,000 game
STEPHEN KENNY says St Patrick's Athletic are expecting a tougher game than last week as they prepare for Thursday's second leg encounter in Lithuania against Hegelmann (kick-off: 5pm Irish time). The Premier Division outfit, who will be without injured duo Romal Palmer and Sean Hoare for the game, secured a 1-0 first leg victory in Richmond Park. While pleased with the overall performance in Dublin, Kenny admitted his side's finishing was 'lacking,' and the Saints will hope that issue doesn't come back to haunt them in the return leg. In the first game, Aidan Keena came off the bench to score an 81st-minute winner from the penalty spot. But Kenny was unwilling to provide any hints as to whether the Mullingar-born striker had done enough to earn a starting place on this occasion, with stiff competition provided up front by Tottenham-bound teenager Mason Melia. As for their opponents, the Pat's boss believes Hegelmann will attempt a different approach compared to their cautious display in Dublin. 'We probably didn't see the full extent of them last week. At home, I expect they'll have a higher level of performance. We'll have to more than match that and make sure that we come out on the right side of this tie. Advertisement 'We feel they have more in their locker than they showed last week, and they'll be more committed from an attacking point of view. 'Sometimes there can be a disparity; teams are more comfortable in their environment, so there can be a difference in performance between home and away. For some teams, you come over and their levels are up. They look like different players. That can happen often. Regardless of that, it's up to us to raise our levels.' Hegelmann are currently third in the Lithuanian top flight after 19 games and play their home matches on an AstroTurf pitch. 'I haven't seen it yet, but we're not fixating on that,' Kenny said. 'We've trained on AstroTurf in our last two training sessions, so we know what to expect.' Despite holding the advantage, Kenny said his team would adopt an attacking mindset for the away trip. Goals and positive results have been hard to come by of late for the Irish side. They had gone into the home leg having scored just twice in their last seven Premier Division matches and failing to win their previous six. The former Ireland manager insists progress has been made in that frustrating period. 'I think we still have it all to prove. But we have faith in the players. They've shown good application, good attitude and a desire to put our finishing boots on. We have adapted tactically in the last couple of weeks and created more chances. And I feel the goals will definitely come. 'I think our last three home performances, even though we got beaten by Derry, we played to a very high level in that game, and it was a good performance against Bohemians. And we were excellent last week. We had really good play throughout. I liked the shape of the team, I liked the passing options, we'd had a lot of players committed in the attacking third. So we have adapted somewhat to how we were playing during the season, and we've seen benefits of it, but we just missed some fantastic chances, there is no doubt about that.' The winner of the tie will be guaranteed a minimum €700,000 and, in the next round, will face either Estonian side Nõmme Kalju FC or Albanian outfit FK Partizani, with the former hosting a 1-1 first-leg draw. While acknowledging the financial aspect of the game is important, Kenny says it's not something the squad ever discuss. 'The other side of it is, we probably have no right to be in Europe, at one stage last year we were third from bottom, we wouldn't have got anything, so the players have worked extremely hard to get up from third bottom to finish third and qualify for Europe, which was a great achievement. Now we have the opportunity to go into round two, we need to look at it positively, be positive in our approach, rather than worry about the consequences of not doing it, as we may not have been in Europe at all.' The conditions may not be ideal, with Kenny citing talk of potential thunderstorms during the game, while the match is set to be played in front of a small home crowd and a sizeable contingent of travelling support. 'I am not sure what to expect in that regard,' the Dubliner added. 'Our motivation is high; we must always have those levels of concentration. Sometimes, in an eerie atmosphere, there can be lapses, as opposed to a high-octane, adrenaline-filled occasion. 'The travelling supporters were a big help in Vaduz [for the Uefa Conference League tie] last year, in particular, in what was a tough away game. So a similar support can help again — if it is a tight ground, we will hear them.'
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Melia shines as St Pat's ease into second round of Conference League
Uefa Conference League, first round, second leg: FC Hegelmann 0 St Patrick's Athletic 2 (Mason Melia 6', Kian Leavy 56') (St Pat's win 3-0 on aggregate) 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…
