Clint Dempsey and Fulham rolled to a big victory in Lithuania while Ryan Guy and the Saints barely edged their Russian opponents in Dublin.
FK Vetra 0 - 3 Fulham
Clint Dempsey got the start for Fulham as they all but assured their advancement to the next round of the Europa League with a strong road win over opponents FK Vetra on Thursday night.
Competing on the European stage for the first time since their short run through the Intertoto and UEFA Cup in 2002, the Cottagers showed some signs of pre-season rust in the first half hour, however left no question as to which was the superior team on the field for the final 60 minutes.
They almost took an early lead when captain Danny Murphy picked out Bobby Zamora in the 26th minute, however the forward's shot was directed right at Vetra keeper Povilas Valincius for the easy save.
Zamora got it right one minute before the half, however, with a quick strike which left Valincius no chance, giving Fulham the 1-0 lead heading into the break.
He then provided Fulham with their second goal of the evening when he was fouled in the area by Algis Jankauskas after receiving a pass from defender Paul Konchesky, with Murphy converting from the spot to double the lead.
Dempsey was substituted out for Seol Ki-Hyeon in the 81st minute, with the latter quickly making his mark on the game, being set up by Zamora for the team's third of the evening and the final 3-0 scoreline to the visitors.
The Cottagers will be confident of hanging on to their three-goal advantage when the teams return to London on Thursday for the second leg, with a date in the playoff round awaiting.
NK Rijeka 1 - 2 Metalist Kharkiv
Johann Smith entered the game early in the first half as a substitution for the injured Anas Sharbini, however the team was unable to capitalize on a ten-man Kharkiv as they fell at home to their Ukrainian opposition.
Smith started the game on the bench expecting to see second-half action, however began his evening much sooner than expected when team talisman Anas Sharbini went down with an injury causing Smith to take the field after 17 minutes.
After both teams exchanged scoring chances through the rest of the half, Kharkiv took the lead two minute before the break when defender Serhiy Valyayev fed Alexei Eremenko Jr with a long diagonal ball from the right side, with the Finnish international blasting the ball off the inside of the upper right corner for the 1-0 lead to the visitors.
Rijeka brought matters even 14 minutes into the second half when Ahmad Sharbini received the ball just outside the area and quickly fired his shot past Kharkiv keeper Olexandr Goryainov for the equalizer.
The Croatians seemingly caught a break in the 67th minute when defender Serhiy Valyayev was shown red for a reckless foul, however their hearts were broken when Jonatan Maidana launched an off-balance cross towards goal with five minute remaining, which Volodymyr Lysenko headed in for the winner.
With the loss and pair of away goals conceded, Rijeka are in the tough position of needing a big win on their trip to Ukraine next Thursday in order to keep their European run alive.
Valerenga 1 - 2 PAOK FC
Troy Perkins' return to Valerenga's goal was not a happy one, as they were unable to overcome an early deficit to fall at home to Greek opponents PAOK FC.
The Greek visitors took the lead just past the half-hour mark when Brazilian defender Lino beat Perkins with a gorgeous free kick to the upper right corner, then doubled it six minutes later when Zlatan Muslimović stormed into the right side of the area and beat Perkins to the near post for the 2-0 lead.
The Norwegians looked set for a comeback just five minutes later when Jarl André Storbęk connected for a powerful header following a corner to cut the lead to a single goal, and seemed set to draw even while applying heavy pressure for the final moments of the first half.
As brightly as they went into the break, the second half turned into a mess of a game for both teams, with a torrential downpour reducing the pace to a wet slog, with neither team able to get a hold on matters and the final scoreline staying 2-1 to the visitors.
Valerenga head south to PAOK's Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki next Thursday knowing they must not only win but score at least two goals if they hope to advance to the playoff round of the competition.
St. Patrick's 1 - 0 Krylia Sovetov
Ryan Guy set up the winning goal for the Saints as they held on for an encouraging narrow victory over Russian team Krylia Sovetov on Thursday.
Suffering through one of their more difficult seasons of recent year, the Saints were looking to potential run through the Europa league as a way to add a bright spot, and took a first step with their impressive performance.
Sovetov clearly dominated the flow of the game but were unable to put the ball past keeper Gary Rogers when it most counted, with the home team increasingly frustrating their visitors heading into the game's final stages.
With 20 minutes remaining on the clock, Guy approached from the right side of the field and sent in a perfectly-placed cross to forward Declan O'Brien, who easily put away the chance for the ultimate winner.
The win gives the saints the narrowest of advantages heading into the second let in Sovetov's Metallurg Stadion on Thursday, knowing that even a draw will see them through to the playoff round.
Notes
Jared Jeffrey was not included on Brugge's roster as they slugged it out with Finnish team FC Lahti for the 3-2 first leg victory at home. |
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