Preview: Saints seek another heroic European display

League of Ireland football has been enjoying an extended moment in the sun over this unusually warm summer, and St Patrick’s Athletic have a great opportunity to maintain that momentum as they welcome CSKA Sofia to Tallaght Stadium.

The third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League brings its challenges and while the atmospheric yet basic Richmond Park is not the venue tonight, the Saints go marching on, albeit at a ground that reaches UEFA standards for such a tie.

The aim of last week’s first leg fixture in Sofia would have been to remain in the tie, however, St Pat’s exceeded all expectations against the perennial European campaigners by first keeping a clean sheet, and then proceeding to win the match.

That late Serge Atakayi strike sees the Inchicore side start the second leg with a one-goal advantage and offers a lot more than just hope in relation to making it through to the final qualifying round.

A fortuitous victory, one might say, for the team who had to defend resolutely throughout the 90 minutes, however, credit must be given for the execution of a well-drilled game-plan, restricting the home side with an excellent performance from the back unit.

And Pat’s also showed their quality, attacking on the occasions afforded, and it certainly puts doubts in the minds of the Bulgarian outfit coming to Dublin looking to win by two clear goals in the absence of the away goals rule.

Tallaght Stadium will be rocking to a different tune tonight as the South Stand will become home to the Saints singing section, and with the main stand already sold out, it looks like it will be a full house at the west Dublin venue.

The Saints are well used to playing at the home of Shamrock Rovers thanks to the amount of times League of