Sean Maguire put Cork City ahead in their tie against BK Hacken at the Bravida Stadium in Gothenburg, converting a penalty in the 64th minute after Stephen Dooley was brought down inside the area. The nonchalance of the finish from Maguire was something else. It was his third goal from the spot for City in this season's Europa League having netted one in each leg against Irish League side Linfield in the previous round.
Seanie 🔥🔥🔥🔥 #CCFC84 pic.twitter.com/M0h5vO4tJR— Joanne (@JoanneOR_Ox) July 14, 2016
Sean Maguire's penalty against BK Hacken makes a mockery of the phrase "coolly taken." Source: Twitter, @JoanneOR_Ox.
The brother of Cork City fan Joanne O'Riordan was ideally placed to catch that spot-kick on camera. With Hacken down to ten men following the sending off of Baba Mensah for the foul on Dooley, City must have thought they could add to their lead and potentially kill the tie off before the return in Turner's Cross next week. John Owoeri had other plans. The Nigerian equalised seven minutes from time to given the Swedes a lifeline. John Caulfield's men still have work to do.
As do St. Patrick's Athletic, though they did the reverse of City in their game against Dinamo Minsk, falling behind to an inch perfect Vladimir Korytko strike from the edge of the box in the 25th minute. The Saints had to wait until the second-half, but they eventually pulled one back - and of course it came through their all-time record goal-scorer in Europe, Christy Fagan. It was a peach of a strike from outside the area, right into the same corner Korytko had placed his in the first-half.
A case of whatever Vladimir Korytko can do, Christy Fagan can do better. Source: Video Sport YouTube channel.
It was Fagan's sixth goal in European competition for Pat's, his seventh overall including that one goal he got for Bohemians against Olimpija Ljubljana in 2011. It could prove to be his most important strike yet as it puts Liam Buckley's charges in the box seat ahead of the Belarusians' visit for the return-leg in Richmond Park. You can check out full match highlights of Minsk-Pat's on Dinamo TV's YouTube channel.
Of the three LOI sides in continental action this week, reigning Premier Division champions Dundalk are the ones who face the most difficult task in their second-leg as they conceded an away goal to FH Hafnarfjordur of Iceland at Oriel Park. The goals didn't come until the second-half, but it looked good for the Lilywhites who took the lead in the 66th minute - and like City and Pat's, it was Dundalk's in form striker who broke the deadlock.Dave McMillan is in one of those spells where he is just irrepressible and he followed up a pair of hat-tricks in his last two league games with the opening goal against FH, a fine finish on the half-volley from a Patrick McEleney cross. In the absence of any sort of video evidence, I can only take the word of those present that the finish was exquisite, but I'm sure it was!
Unfortunately, the good work of Stephen Kenny's side was undone by a perhaps long forgotten Lilywhite. Scottish striker Steven Lennon only made a handful of appearances for Dundalk in the 2010 season and never found the target - so of course he would bag a goal at Oriel Park six years later in a Champions League qualifier.
St. Patrick's Athletic fan Keith Abbey delivers some home truths. Source: Twitter, @keith_abbey.
Lennon's snapshot 11 minutes after FH fell behind has given the Icelanders the advantage ahead of the return leg. However, the good news is that Dundalk have scored in every away game they have played in Europe under Kenny to date.
They defeated Jeunesse Esch 2-0 in Luxembourg in 2014, which helped them to advance to the next qualifying round of the Europa League where they defeated Hajduk Split 2-1 in Croatia. They were also just narrowly beaten 2-1 by BATE Borisov in last season's Champions League qualifiers, so Dundalk will back themselves to score in the Kaplakriki ground next week.
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