Updated at 12.00
DUNDALK CAN TAKE “great encouragement” from their performance against Zenit St Petersburg despite the result, says Stephen Kenny.
The Premier Division champions didn’t look out of place at all competing with one of the top clubs in Europe at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night — keeping the Russians quiet for over an hour before eventually losing 2-1.
Robbie Benson put Dundalk ahead shortly after the start of the second half, but goalkeeper Gabriel Sava’s mis-hit clearance gifted Zenit their opener and they didn’t take long to add a vital second.
“We’re very disappointed to lose the game,” said Kenny afterwards. “We were so close to going 2-0 up and hit the inside of the post with Dane Massey’s headed effort.
“We’re quite unfortunate overall to go on and lose the game from that point.
“I thought for the first hour of the game, we definitely had the better chances. They had large parts of possession and they are a brilliant team, there’s no doubt about that. But our goal wasn’t under threat and there weren’t any chances of real note.
The first goal was a bad one to concede from our point of view. Zenit took advantage and their second goal was very well-worked. So we got punished really.”
After his mistake, Kenny was quick to jump to the defence of stand-in goalkeeper Sava, who has been preferred to Gary Rogers since coming in for the top-of-the-table clash with Cork City last week.
“Gabriel Sava has been terrific for us in the four games since he has come in and he played well tonight and saved a penalty,” he said of the Italian stopper.
“It’s just one of those things. The ball went up in the air but there was still plenty of play between that and it ending up in the back of the net.”
The Dundalk boss admitted their congested run of games will not have helped his team’s cause, but insists there is no great shame losing to a club of Zenit’s calibre.
“There’s no doubt that it (fatigue) was a factor,” he explained. “It definitely was. We’ve had six games in the period between playing Maccabi Tel Aviv and Zenit, while they have had two during that time.
“It’s a big disadvantage, but that’s the way it goes and we were 1-0 up, we could’ve went 2-0 up but we’ve lost the game. That happens and Zenit are a very good team — they’re a Champions League team really.
“Tactically, the players are very disciplined and we defended really well and counter-attacked with some imagination.
“We feel deflated to have lost the game but it’s no disgrace to have suffered a narrow defeat to them.”
He added: “We can take great encouragement from it, but ultimately we lost the game and we can’t get away from that. We were in a position to win it and we lost.
“Zenit passed the ball brilliantly. They’ve got great balance in their team and some really fine players. We showed that we’ve got a really talented group also.
I think the Irish public will have tuned in en masse and they will admire the players, their skill levels and the efforts they have shown over the campaign and again tonight.”
At the halfway stage in Group D, Zenit are in command on nine points from three matches while Dundalk sit just ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv on four after the Israeli outfit got the better of bottom-placed AZ Alkmaar.
Next up is a trip to Russia before they play AZ at home and then finally head to Tel Aviv. It’s sure to be tight for that second qualification spot and Kenny believes it won’t be secured until that final matchday on 8 December.
“We’ve four points, but we have to go to St Petersburg in the next game and see how we do.
“The AZ Alkmaar game here at home is massive for us and I would imagine that it will go right to the last game to see whether we will qualify or not. That’s the first week in December in Tel Aviv. I can see it going right to the wire.”
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
