Late Keena penalty gives St Pats slender advantage over Hegelmann in European opener

Irish Examiner

10-07-2025

Uefa Conference League first round, first leg: St Patrick's Athletic 1 (A Keena pen 81) FC Hegelmann 0.
A goal famine of 400 minutes forced Stephen Kenny into a substitution that paved the way for St Patrick's Athletic accruing a slender first-leg lead in their European opener.
Groans of frustration around Richmond Park were audible as the Saints toiled against Hegelmann, extending their barren patch to almost seven hours.
Just like Joey O'Brien did for Shelbourne against Linfield, however, a treble substitution altered the landscape within seven minutes.
Busy Barry Baggley lured Klaudijus Upstas into a foul just inside the box, allowing substitute Aidan Keena to bury the penalty into the bottom left corner despite the goalkeeper diving the right way.
It was the striker's first goal since May 30, the same date Saints last tasted victory.
Although the better team, familiar failings threatened to deepen the woe of a middling season for St Pat's.
A one-goal advantage is theirs to build in Kaunas next week, setting up a second-round tie against either Nomme Kalju (Estonia) and Partizani (Albania).
The Lithuanians brought little by way of European history into the tie. They were only formed in 2009, gradually progressing through the ranks to earn a Conference League entrance two seasons that. That was short-lived, slumping to a 5-0 aggregate exit at the hands of Macedonian side Shkupi who Shamrock Rovers beat twice the previous year.
Their season had a cosmopolitan hue, comprised of five Lithuanians, two Serbs, a Ukrainian, coupled with one apiece from Japan, Cameroon and Brazil. The senior international representative was restricted to their home-based cohort.
Pat's were the side who took the initiative, albeit at a moderate pace. It was understandable for Kenny to change his artillery, choosing teenager Mason Melia ahead of Keena, and the €2m wonderkid could have made the night a whole less tense had he converted on four minutes.
Jay McClelland produced the opening by curling a left-foot cross into the box where the unmarked Tottenham Hotspur bound forward somehow sidefooted his volley wide.
When Melia flashed a shot over and McClelland's cross grazed the crossbar 13 minutes later, it seemed inevitable Saints pressure would yield but their slack finishing, coupled with vulnerability at the back, contributed to nervous moments.
One such breakaway by the visitors had them scrambling, Brazilian Léo Ribeiro squaring for Cameroonian Abdel Kader Njoya who in turn fed Donatas Kazlauskas. It took Jamie Lennon's late tackle for the shot to angle off-target.
Two Pat's penalty claims were rejected approaching the break, both involving Vilius Armalas. The ex-Benfica trainee stuck out his arm to block a shot and then needlessly bundled Melia over as the ball was rolling out of play. Neither plea from the home crowd was entertained by the Belgian referee.
He would eventually point to the spot but not until Saints were given a let-off soon after the restart.
Tom Grivosti's last-ditch tackle from a cross was necessary but the loose ball fell to Léo Ribeiro who could only screw his shot wide with goalkeeper Joseph Anang stranded.
Saints still held the upperhand without carrying the punch to perforate the Eastern European visitors.
Goalkeeper Vincentas Šarkauskas had to turn over a rising shot by Baggley while Melia spurned another sitting, swivelling and shooting over after the block off Baggley's shot saw up perfectly eight yards out.
Melia's determination played a part in earning the penalty, a welcome break for a club still searching to match form with their budget.
ST PATRICK'S ATH: J Anang; R McLaughlin, J Redmond, T Grivosti, J McClelland; J Lennon (C Forrester 73), B Baggley, B Kavanagh; S Power (Z Elbouzedi 73), M Melia, J Mulraney (K Leavy 84).
FC HEGELMANN: V Šarkauskas; K Upstas, V Armalas, N Đorić, C Duke; D Antanavičius, L Kojić; D Kazlauskas (P Popescu 65), Léo Ribeiro (E Kausinis 74), A Shchedryi (Wesley 73); A Kader Njoya.
Referee: Simon Bourdeaud'hui (Bel).
Attendance: 2500.