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Demolished in Denmark - Saints sent packing

Friday 3rd August 2007, 12:50 am

It was a return to the bad old days of League of Ireland clubs in Europe as Saint Patrick's Athletic were demolished 5-0 by Odense in Denmark. Trailing 3-0 at the break, the Saints conceded two more in the second half.

The Saints recent chopping and changing caught up with them and the bizarre decision to start the struggling Michael Keane totally back-fired when he was forced off after only 15 minutes. The ensuing reshuffle did Pats no favours and Odense hit the front after 20 minutes.

Hans Andreasen turned the ball home after Mads Tim had created the opening. It was 2-0 less than ten minutes later as Kim Christensen powered home a header from a corner kick the Saints had needlessly conceded. Stephen Brennan and Barry Ryan got their wires crossed with the ball crossing the by-line. Worse was to follow in the aftermath of the goal as team-mates Ryan and Dave Rogers threatened to clash.

Jonas Borring nipped in to head home and make it 3-0 just before half-time and a miserable night was confirmed even before the break.

The Saints had strangely adopted a more attacking formation for the start of the away leg and although the early injury had changed those plans, it was very strange they had not opted to be more adventurous in the home leg instead.

Pride was all that was at stake in the second half and the Saints will leave Denmark without much of that too.

Christensen grabbed his second of the night on 75 minutes to make it 4-0 as the Saints defence watched on. The rout was completed a couple of minutes before the end when Peter Nymann finished superbly to make it 5-0.

Although it was a tough draw, there's little to excuse the nature of the defeat and serious questions have to be asked of the Saints gameplans - particularly the one implemented at home two weeks ago.

Odense : Onyszko, Helveg (Troest 46), A Christensen, Laurson, Sorensen, Bolanos (Radonjic 68), Hansen, Andreasen (Nymann 77), Borring, K Christensen, Timm.
St. Patrick's Athletic : Ryan, Gibson, Maguire, Brennan, Rogers, Murphy (O'Connor 58), Fahey, Keane (Paisley 16), Kirby, M Quigley (M Foley 77), Guy.