Wildfires, inflation and travel chaos have been a feature of life in our continent of late but long live the days of European ties like this – and all the noise you'd expect from the locals – on a balmy night by the Camac.This Europa Conference League second qualifying round tie was absorbing from the off.
Mirlind Daku, on loan from Osijek, had the Slovenians in front before a Chris Forrester sizzler just shy of the hour-mark left the tie very much alive for Saints, especially as they were the better team – even if they finished without Mark Doyle, who saw red in injury time.It's delicately poised prior to next Thursday's deciding leg.
Saints can believe that they have every chance; they should have won this game and have a proud history this century of big performances on the road, even if this Pat's side is littered with players only getting to know each other.FULL MATCH DETAILSLittle escaping the grim narrative in Irish football over the past week, and change, before tonight's action: four games in Europe, two involving Shamrock Rovers, none involving a goal from our European representatives.Perhaps more thought-provoking than the collective woe of Rovers' struggles, Sligo's freeze against a part-time Welsh mob and Derry's limp exit to Riga was the spate of really talented players, by League of Ireland standards, exiting for the third tier in England.Dawson Devoy and ex-Saint Darragh Burns joined MK Dons; Danny Mandroiu (Lincoln), Promise Omochere (Fleetwood) and Ed McGinty (Oxford) all accepted the lure too.
Their loss is the league's loss – and near-blanket paltry transfer fees have wound people up in the Irish game.Such has been the upheaval in Inchicore, Chris Forrester alone from the team that started the FAI Cup