Conference League second round qualifiers, first leg: St Patrick’s Athletic 1 (Forrester 90) Kalju 0
As he has so often in the past, Chris Forrester proved St Patrick’s Athletic’s talisman once again with a dramatic late winner just as it seemed frustration would be the order of the night by the Camac.
With the Kalju goal under siege as they defended heroically with nine men for over 20 minutes, St Pat’s finally gave themselves something to bring to Estonia next week with a 90th-minute goal.
A triple substitution by manager Stephen Kenny in the 79th minute would eventually bring the Dubliners their due reward with all three players contributing.
Brandon Kavanagh fed Conor Carty down the inside left channel and though the striker’s drive was parried by goalkeeper Maksim Pavlov, Forrester – St Pat’s record European appearance holder – pounced on the loose ball to show clever feet and score from close in.
RM Block
While St Patrick’s dominated on the night, and well before Kalju’s two dismissals, it remains all to play for in Tallinn in next Thursday’s second leg.
Kenny made one change from last week’s win against Lithuanian side Hegelmann, with Zach Elbouzedi replacing Jake Mulraney on the right flank as St Pat’s started on the front foot.
Pavlov looked far from sure of himself early on, tipping over crosses from Jay McClelland and Barry Baggley, while also fortunate that nothing came of having an attempted clearance charged down by Mason Melia.
Though St Pat’s continued to dominate the ball, it was the 28th minute before they seriously threatened, left-back Modou Tambedou doing well to nick the ball off the toe of Simon Power from Baggley’s through ball.
If suspect in the air, Pavlov did show pretty competent shot-stopping abilities with saves on McClelland and substitute Jake Mulraney as St Pat’s frustration grew with no tangible reward forthcoming by the break.
Home agitation continued into the second half, Melia not able to get enough purchase on a downward header from Mulraney’s cross to trouble Pavlov.
Kalju then mustered their first spell of pressure on the home goal with Tom Grivosti defending well to block a shot from Mattias Mannilaan amid three successive corners for the visitors.
Back at the other end, plaintive shouts for a handball were not entertained in a scramble that followed a header from McClelland off Baggley’s corner.
Kalju, having shipped four bookings already, were reduced to 10 men on 64 minutes when Rommi Siht was dismissed after a foul on Kian Leavy for his second yellow card.
It got worse numerically for the Estonians four minutes later as Danyl Mashchenko was also sent off for a second yellow-card offence for hauling down Mulraney.
Minutes later Melia looked set to break the deadlock only to slice his volley wide after Grivosti picked him out in space right in front of goal.
With Kalju pinned back in their final third, substitute Aidan Keena worked Pavlov at his near post before Kalju’s heroic defending was undone with Forrester’s big goal.
Pavlov would then prevent further damage with the save of the night in the 93rd minute in turning Kavanagh’s drive round a post.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Anang; McLaughlin (Keena, 70), Redmond, Grivosti, McClelland; Lennon (Forrester, 79), Baggley; Elbouzedi (Mulraney, 24), Leavy (Kavanagh, 79), Power; Melia (Carty, 79).
KALJU: Pavlov; Tarassenkov, Mashchenko, Podholjuzin (Korre, 45+6), Tambedou; Patrikejevs (Liit, 72), Musolitin (Nikolajiev, h-t), Kask, Siht; Mannilaan, Ivanov (Guilherme, 62).
Referee: L Szikszay (Czechia).
