STEPHEN KENNY ADMITTED his St Pat’s side were not good enough across a chastening first-half of their Conference League third round qualifier, in which they conceded four goals to Besiktas. Simon Power’s second-half goal proved mere consolation, and thus Pat’s head for next week’s second leg with a 4-1 deficit. 

“We were comprehensively outplayed”, admitted Kenny. “Besiktas were definitely far superior to us in the game. We didn’t bring the level of physical intensity we needed, we were well off them physically, and we are very disappointed to lose in that manner.” 

Kenny switched to a back five at half-time, which gave Pat’s much more defensive stability. 

“We were struggling to deal with their front four to be honest, and we had to defend our goal better and defend with our lives. I wasn’t happy with the first half at all. We then didn’t give them any chances in second half until late on.

“Simon scored a good goal, we had other chances we wanted to take to make the scoreline closer. I said to the players at half-time that we were hugely disappointed with the first half, if we are not careful we could get a severe hiding, and that we needed to win the second half, which is something.” 

Asked whether he regretted in hindsight not started with his second-half system, Kenny said, “I regret not playing as well as we did against Istanbul Basaksehir last year, with a 4-2-3-1 with a not too dissimilar personnel, a few changes from that [game]. We played at a level in that game where we were the better team. I am disappointed the early goal [tonight] killed us and we compounded that by conceding the second, we were deservedly beaten in first half. They are a formidable team and showed their quality and they were just too good for us.”

“It was really tough first half we didn’t really lay a glove on them first half”, said Pat’s captain Joe Redmond. “I don’t think that came from lack of effort from the players, they are a really good side. The speed of play didn’t tale us by surprise, we knew they are a top, top team in Europe. The goals we conceded were quite soft, but the reaction at half-time to come out as we did was quite positive from a mentality side of it.”

Asked if Besiktas were the best team he has ever faced, Redmond agreed. “Yeah”, he said, “in terms of when the ball goes forward, how they quicken it up and then slow it down to suck you in.” 

“Very happy with the result”, said Besiktas boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. “To win away in Europe is never easy. We saw in the second half what could have happened in the first half if we hadn’t started properly. We started really well, and could have scored six or seven. 

“In the second half they play towards their fans, and they get the momentum and we were always under pressure, but that will always happen away in Europe. But I was pleased with how we got control back after those 15-20 minutes, and overall I am very pleased with the performance.

“We played really well [in the first half]. I know what my team is capable of when they are on and when we are focused, so they were determined to get a good start and for me that’s a great feeling. I wouldn’t say they [Pat's] made it easy, we deserved to get the goals we had, as we played really well.  

“They changed system and changed their approach [after half-time], and made it harder for us to go through the middle. The second half was a very good contest and learning for some of my players.” 

Solskjaer was also asked of his impressions of teenage Pat’s Tottenham-bound striker Mason Melia, who led the line for Pat’s.

“He has a bright future ahead of him, he keeps making the runs and getting in the right areas, one of the things I liked most was his attitude to pressing, he does his defensive job”, said Solskjaer. “Tottenham have made a good signing.”