'That will do wonders for his confidence, the only thing he's lacking has been goals'
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 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Vb3ct5zNQz — 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.
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'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 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/5JPIf8znpy — 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.
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