Latest news with #StephenKenny
Irish Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Northern Ireland midfielder's arrival from Derby ‘opportune', says St Pat's boss
Stephen Kenny has moved to fill the gap left by injuries to key midfielders by recruiting Northern Ireland Under-21 star Darren Robinson on-loan until the end of the season. Robinson has come in from Derby County, where he has spent the past four years. A former Portadown and Dungannon Swifts prospect, he has played most of his football since his move across the water in Derby's Under-23 side, while he spent the first-half of last season on-loan at National League side Hartlepool United. Robinson said: 'I'm happy to be here. Things moved quite quickly and it was great to get everything done and get over to Dublin and straight into training. "I've had really good conversations with Ger O'Brien and The Gaffer (Stephen Kenny), which was a big pull in coming here too. 'I left home at 16 from Dungannon Swifts to join Derby so I'm in my 5th season now, I need to get some senior games now and feel this is a great opportunity for me in the League of Ireland with St Pat's. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'Everyone has welcomed me and help me settle, I know a few of the boys too, which is nice. It's brilliant here, we have unbelievable facilities and have everything we need. "I enjoyed training this morning and can't wait to hit the ground running now. We've got lots of big games to come and I'm excited to get going.' Robinson has one Championship appearance to his name - in a 3-1 defeat to Bristol City in April 2022. He is a two-time Derby County 'Scholar of the Year' (2022 and 2023). Pat's boss Kenny said: 'Darren is a holding midfield player who is highly regarded at Derby County. He is very professional and has an excellent attitude and has captained Northern Ireland U21s. 'With the injuries to Romal Palmer and Zach Elbouzedi, the timing of Darren's arrival is opportune. We feel he has the overall quality that can help us for the remainder of the season on loan from Derby.' St Pat's are in Europa Conference League action on Thursday in Estonia, where they lead 1-0 against Nomme Kalju 1-0 from last week's first-leg. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Conference League second qualifying round: All you need to know
Thursday, 24 July St Joseph's v Shamrock Rovers, Europa Sports Park, 5pm St Patrick's Athletic v Nomme JK Kalju, Richmond Park, 7.45pm WEATHER For St Pat's in Dublin, Thursday will be dry with sunny spells that will turn hazy at times. Cloud building from the west through the evening. Highest temperatures of 18 to 21 degrees with light westerly winds. In Gibraltar, it will be around 29-30 degrees at kick-off, which will be 6pm local time, but showery weather is expected late on Thursday. A Baltic summer for the Saints St Patrick's Athletic's reward for getting past Lithuanian side FC Hegelmann 3-0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of the Conference League is a tie against another Baltic team, with Estonian outfit Nomme Kalju standing between Stephen Kenny's side and a daunting glamour tie against the loser of Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk's Europa League match-up. This time last year, St Pat's journey went as far as the play-off round but given what lies ahead this summer, it's hard to see them getting beyond the third round - if they get that far of course. They won't be looking further ahead than the challenge posed by Kalju in this second round over the next fortnight, which would still be a boost to the club's coffers. The prize money for elimination at the third round stage is €550K, along with earnings for progressing through earlier rounds. Kalju advanced to the second round after completing a 2-1 aggregate victory over Albania's Partizani last week in what is their first appearance in Europe since the 2020-21 season, having finished a distant second in the 2024 league. They also won their domestic cup in May. The Estonian side are currently fourth in this season's league after beating Tallinna Kalev 6-2 at the weekend which leaves them nine points off the top. Theirs is a young squad with just three players aged over 25, including attacking midfielder Kristjan Kask who is their top scorer with seven goals this season. St Pat's, meanwhile, are languishing down in sixth in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division with a lack of goals having been an issue since the summer started. However, two from open play in the second leg at Hegelmann last Thursday - they also netted eight in the FAI Cup against UCC on Sunday - will have been a confidence booster with Mason Melia scoring one and setting up the other for Kian Leavy. But making the most of the first leg at home will be vital, according to former St Pat's midfielder Alan Cawley, who feels Kenny's team should have enough to advance past a club of Kalju's stature. "The home thing is a big advantage and you have to come out of the traps quickly and I think St Pat's, to be fair in the last couple of weeks, have picked up," he told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast, adding that Kenny's pedigree in Europe will be a factor. "Estonia, I think they are 43rd in the UEFA rankings, we're 32 I think it is - and it's not always based on that - but you look at where they're at, fourth in the domestic league. I know they won 6-2 at the weekend but they don't score a lot of goals. "In 21 games, they've only scored 43 goals, so I would fancy Pat's, once they take the game to them, which we know that's what Stephen Kenny does anyway. He likes to be on the front foot, he likes to go after teams, and I think that has to be the mantra that they go for, especially at home on Thursday night." Kenny is wary of Kalju however, telling RTÉ soccer correspondent Tony O'Donoghue that it's as tough a pairing as they could have got. "They work on 3-4-2-1 model, very energetic, very fit and have a good Brazilian attacking player," he said in reference to winger Guilherme Smith, who has five goals from 19 league games. "We'll have to be at our best to put in a good performance. They are full-time professionals so this will be a tough game for us, with the winners getting either Besiktas or Shakhtar Donetsk. It is the toughest draw we could have got but it's still a big incentive to get through." But other than Romal Palmer and Sean Hoare, the manager has a fully fit squad to choose from. Rovers on the Rock for launchpad towards League Phase aim Shamrock Rovers know what it's like to get to the 'League Phase' of this competition, having done so last season. However, the route was different. On that occasion, they qualified for Europe as LOI title holders and began the journey via the Champions League, reaching the second qualifying round. While they subsequently dropped into the Europa League following a 6-2 aggregate loss to Sparta Prague, an aggregate win for Stephen Bradley's team over Slovenia's Celje ultimately guaranteed them the minimum of a very lucrative qualification to the Conference League, which led to memorable nights against the likes of Chelsea, Rapid Vienna and APOEL in the latter part of 2024. But by not winning the domestic league title last year, getting through two rounds of European ties won't be enough this time to get to a 'League Phase' in the third tier competition. This time, starting in the Conference League second round, it would require aggregate wins across three rounds to qualify for the competition proper. But they will be heavily favoured to get past Gibraltar's St Joseph's to reach a third round tie against the winner of Ballkani (Kosovo) v Floriana (Malta). Having said that, St Joseph's were only narrowly beaten by Shelbourne in last season's first qualifying round, with the Dublin side prevailing 3-2 over the two legs. This month, Gibraltar's oldest existing club did get past the first round, beating Belfast outfit Cliftonville 5-4 on aggregate after extra-time. But while it's not an exact science in comparing one league to another, Rovers did hammer then reigning NIFL champions Larne 4-1 at Windsor Park in their Conference League 'League Phase' meeting. Larne finished second in the regular part of the Northern Irish season in 2024-25, whereas Cliftonville were seventh. While they will be favourites, the main challenges the Hoops will have to contend with will be the heat but also the fact that the Europa Sports Park pitch that St Joseph's will be hosting them on this Thursday has an artificial surface. However, Bradley, who says he has a full deck to pick from within his squad, does not appear overly perturbed by either of those potential issues. "We've faced every different type of scenario in Europe throughout the years, from the really good to the really bad and you can't control them so there's no point worrying about them," the manager told Shamrock Rovers TV.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Stephen Kenny's first-leg ambitions outlined as St Pat's bid for glamour tie
Stephen Kenny wants his St Patrick's Athletic side to repeat their Europa Conference League first round heroics - by taking a lead with them to the Baltics. Last time out, they flew to Lithuania with a one-goal advantage against FC Hegelmann, where they scored twice to wrap up a 3-0 aggregate win. Next up on Thursday night is the visit to Richmond Park of Estonians Nomme Kalju - and Kenny is eager for his side to be in the ascendancy when they head to Tallinn next week. The Pat's boss is missing Sean Hoare and Romal Palmer for Thursday's game, but otherwise has a strong squad for the game. Describing Kalju as a step up from their first round opponents, he said: 'They will be tough opposition. We'd like to take a lead ideally to Estonia, that has to be the objective.' Kenny got the lowdown on their second round opponents from former Pat's star Ian Bermingham, whose club European appearance record was beaten last week by Chris Forrester. Bermingham watched Kalju in action against Albanian side Partizani - and he brought home a detailed report of the Estonian side. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'Ian was in Tirana and he saw that game. It was a big win for Nomme Kalju in Tirana because Partizani are ranked higher than us I believe,' said Kenny. 'So it was a big win in the second half of extra-time and they were value for it over the two legs, I thought. We'll dust ourselves down for a new challenge and get ready. '(They play a) 3-4-2-1 model, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers are playing 3-4-2-1. The striker is Brazilian and they have a Ghanaian forward as well. 'They have a lot of energy, they're a very fit team and some good attacking players. They finished second in that league last year, they split the Tallinns. We'll get a real tough game.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
St Patrick's Athletic boss in FAI Cup draw quip as tough tie awaits the Saints
Stephen Kenny reckons someone was double-jobbing this week - with his St Patrick's Athletic side landing two tough draws within 24 hours of each other. First up was Monday's Europa Conference League third round draw. The reward for progress over Estonian side Nomme Kalju will be a tie against one of two European group stage regulars. Turkish giants Besiktas are managed by former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup in 2009. Then on Tuesday, in the draw for the third round of the FAI Cup, Pat's were handed a home tie against League of Ireland champions Shelbourne. The St Pat's boss quipped: 'I think the same person was doing the two draws! Two tough draws, Shelbourne is a tough game, Pat's v Shels is a great game. As for the prospect of facing either Besiktas or Shakhtar, it wasn't the draw Kenny was after. He said: 'I always want a draw that gives us the best chance of progressing. People want a big one, but I'm always wanting the draw that gives us the best chance of got to the play-off round last season. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'Obviously, there is an incentive for both teams when they see the draw. They are big names, Besiktas or Shaktar. There are institutions in their own countries. They have a great pedigree. 'For both teams it's a huge incentive, but from our point of view we want to… European games can be the pinnacle of players' careers. 'We played in Lithuania last week and we go to Estonia next week. You want to continue on that journey and go again. You don't want to stop.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Stephen Kenny wants 'any sort of win' to fire St Pat's European hopes
Stephen Kenny has say "any sort of win" will do for St Patrick's Athletic against Nomme JK Kalju on Thursday night in the first leg of their Conference League second-round qualifier at Richmond Park (7.45pm kick-off). Buoyed by their impressive 2-0 win against Hegelmann in Lithuania last week, which was followed by an 8-0 FAI Cup hammering of UCC, the Saints are looking to maintain momentum. Having endured a barren spell in front of goal, things might just be starting to click but Kenny warned they're facing a stiff challenge against Kalju, who are currently fourth in the Estonian top flight. "We've done a fair degree of homework on them," Kenny told RTÉ Sport. "They are a fit and energetic team and finished second in their league last year, splitting the two Tallinn teams, Levadia and Flora. They work on 3-4-2-1 model, very energetic, very fit and have a good Brazilian attacking player. "We'll have to be at our best to put in a good performance. They are full-time professionals so this will be a tough game for us, with the winners getting either Besiktas or Shakhtar Donetsk (in the next round). It's the toughest draw we could have got but it's still a big incentive to get through." "You're then searching for answers but thankfully we've managed to get back scoring goals." Kenny has been adamant that his team's performance levels have been good despite patchy league form, pointing to a costly profligacy in front of goal which has cost them points. Now the ex-Republic of Ireland boss says he's seeing evidence they've turned a corner. "We've had five clean sheets so the players are defending well and our general play has been terrific over the last couple of weeks," he added. "Our finishing has let us down at times so it was good to get those three goals (over the two legs) in Europe and we got eight at the weekend against the non-league team (UCC). Last season we finished top scorers in the league but this season we hit a barren period where we just couldn't finish despite dominating games. "You're then searching for answers but thankfully we've managed to get back scoring goals and we've been good at the other end in not conceding." Kenny also had a good luck message for Evan Ferguson, who has sealed an eye-catching loan move to Roma. "We picked Evan (for Ireland) before he made his debut for Brighton and then he scored on his first start against Latvia, a friendly, and then he played his first competitive game against France in the Aviva which was an epic game," he said. "Going to Roma is a great opportunity so why wouldn't he take an opportunity like that, to go to Italy? I sincerely wish him well." Meanwhile Saints midfielder Jamie Lennon is fit and raring to go against Nomme JK Kalju. Lennon has fully shaken off an ankle knock he's been nursing over the last week as he targets another forward step in Europe. "We know the next task is going to be much more difficult, but the performance level (against Hegelmann) was really good," the 27-year-old said. "We struggled for goals ever since the break to be fair, since we've come back we've struggled for goals. We haven't struggled for chances though, which I suppose is a positive thing. We're getting in the right areas, we just haven't been clinical enough. "I think the goal here against Hegelmann (in the 1-0 first-leg victory) was a big moment for us, I think it gave the attacking players confidence going over there that they could get a couple more and they did. "Now that we're actually taking some of our chances I think the confidence will just continue to build." While Ferguson looks to reignite his club career in Italy, another young Irish striker will be aiming to further embellish his reputation this week. Mason Melia will join Tottenham in January, but could give St Pat's the perfect parting gift if he continues to shine in Europe as they aim to reach the Conference League league stage. "He's obviously a hugely talented player, a great person as well," Lennon said of the 17-year-old. "He'll have a really good career but he's a big part of what we're trying to do this season and especially in Europe. He has the potential to be an elite player, we're happy to have him for the moment. "His strength and agility, the way he can move as quick with the ball as without the ball is really good. It's hard to believe that he's still only a kid."
