Uefa Conference League playoff first leg: St Patrick’s Athletic 0 Istanbul Basaksehir FK 0
Istanbul or bust. St Patrick’s Athletic must win at the Fatih Terim Stadium next Wednesday to qualify for the Uefa Conference League group stages for the first time in their history.
Victory in the second-leg play-off would bank the Inchicore club €4 million in prize money.
It was never going to be easy, with Stephen Kenny asking his players to produce the performances of their lives. They obliged.
Now it must be repeated in the most demanding atmosphere imaginable just three days after a league match against Dundalk in Oriel Park that the FAI are under severe heat to reschedule.
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If there is a lasting compliment to pay Kenny as Republic of Ireland manager, it was how he set the team up against France and the Netherlands last year. His tactics almost yielded a famous result against the French and until Ronald Koeman outmanoeuvred him, the Dutch were in trouble.
Just like those almost-famous moments in the history of Irish football, St Pat’s brought an aggressive, well-drilled press to damage Basaksehir. And just like those thrilling nights at the Aviva Stadium, the Irish team could not take the goal chances they earned.
It is worth repeating that Mason Melia is still only 16 years old. He has yet to represent Ireland at under-21. But Melia went toe to toe with Hamza Güreler here, in a battle of teenagers that could be repeated on the international stage before the 2020s are over.
Melia had three looks at goal in the first half. None found the target. All of them showcased a talent on the cusp of dominating defenders at this level.
His first chance came after three minutes thanks to Chris Forrester’s slide tackle and pass to the outstanding Zachary Elbouzedi, who put a pinpoint cross on to Melia’s head. The young striker made a decent connection but the ball flashed across Muhammad Sengezer’s goalmouth.
Jamie Lennon and Forrester punished early Turkish efforts to walk out of defence. The next opportunity fell to Jake Mulraney, after impressive holdup play by Melia, but the winger blazed over.
Forrester almost scored one of his trademark gems, flashing an effort inches wide after Anto Breslin’s industry earned a corner.
Brian Kerr, the former St Pat’s and Ireland manager, sitting near the press seats, nodded approvingly. As did new Irish coach Heimar Hallgrímsson and his number two John O’Shea.
That is the past, present and future Ireland gaffers sitting beside each other. Hallgrímsson told fans last Wednesday night that whether he fails or succeeds in his new job, O’Shea should eventually succeed him.
The Icelander also expressed concern about how difficult it is to find a rental property in the Dublin area but the entire 6,219 crowd could have told him that.
Melia’s next chance came on the half-hour. Having pickpocketed Onur Ergun he was muscled off the ball by Brazilian centre-half Léo Duarte.
That felt like the opportunity St Pat’s simply had to take to reach the group stages of European football.
Basaksehir manager Cagdas Atan looked fit to burst on the sideline but he will be pleased with Güreler’s textbook block on Melia after Elbouzedi’s umpteenth raid down the right flank.
The second half was never going to run as smoothly for St Pat’s, especially with Romal Palmer limping off, to be replaced by Ireland under-21 Kian Leavy.
Not three minutes were clocked when Tom Grivosti swallowed a yellow card for tripping Berkay Özcan a stride outside St Pat’s box. Dimitris Pelkas hit the free-kick into the wall.
In the Uefa club coefficient Basaksehir are ranked 56th, a full 291 places ahead of St Pat’s and it began to show in the teeming rain. Özcan and Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek demanded ball into feet while working off each other.
This forced St Pat’s to retreat.
Then, suddenly, Leavy tore off the right, skipping past two Turkish defenders before leathering a low shot off the post.
Seconds later Piatek was appealing to the officials for a penalty down the other end after Joseph Anang’s heavy touch almost cost his team the result.
Helter-skelter now. St Pat’s came back at Basaksehir with another rasping strike by Mulraney denied by a clump of bodies.
Atan reacted by introducing Brazilian João Figueiredo, an attacker who is certain to start in Istanbul.
With 20 minutes remaining there was the unusual sight of referee Mohammed Al-emara needing to be replaced by the fourth official Peiman Simani. This forced 10 minutes of injury-time as a fantastic, yet untelevised spectacle was on a knife edge until the final whistle.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Sjoberg, Grivosti, Redmond, Breslin; Palmer (Leavy 45), Lennon, Forrester (Bolger 92); Elbouzedi, Melia (Keena 92), Mulraney (Kavanagh 98).
Istanbul Basaksehir: Sengezer; Duarte, Gureler, Opoku, Sahiner (Lima 83); Pelkas (Gurler 83), Ergun, Ozcan (Ozdemir 92); Turuc, Piatek (Keny 92), Davidson (Figueiredo 62).
Referee: Mohammed Al-emara (Finland).
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