St. Gallen secure their first win in the 3rd round of the Conference League. After falling behind early, the team from eastern Switzerland struggled to a 2-1 win against Northern Ireland's Larne in Belfast, ending their six-week drought.
After the 2:6 fiasco at Cercle Brugge and the 2:4 against AC Fiorentina, as well as eight competitive games without a win since September 24, a first success in the Conference League came at the third attempt against a noticeably inferior opponent - albeit with much difficulty. Full-back Hugo Vandermersch scored the winner in the 79th minute after a long spell of dominance but little penetration in the final third, following a pass from substitute Christian Witzig.
With a sleepy start, St. Gallen, who had to make do without the ill Jozo Stanic and Jordi Quintillà, who was suffering from muscular problems, fell behind early against the inferior Northern Irish champions at Windsor Park in Belfast. Abdoulaye Diaby deflected a sharp cross into his own goal in the 4th minute after Chima Okoroji lost possession.
Apart from the own goal, Larne only shot at Lawrence Ati Zigi's goal once in the entire match. St. Gallen had more than 70 percent possession, but for a long time there was nothing more than Lukas Görtler's equalizer. After half an hour, the captain completed St. Gallen's best attack with a perfectly struck volley. It was preceded by Okoroji winning the ball and the cross came from Albert Vallci.
If the eastern Swiss side, who are still outside the top 24, want to put themselves in a better position to qualify for the round of 16 after their false start against Cercle Brugge (2:6) and the defeat against Fiorentina (2:4), they will have to do better in their next game. Their opponents at Kybunpark on November 28 will be the Serbs from Backa Topola, who picked up their first points on Thursday with a 4:1 win at home against Lugano.
The telegram
Larne - St. Gallen 1:2 (1:1)
4448 spectators. - SR Barbara (MLT). - Goals: 4th Diaby (own goal) 1:0. 29th Görtler (Vallci) 1:1. 79th Vandermersch (Witzig) 1:2.
Larne: Ferguson; Seary, Todd, Bolger, Want (92. Magee), Ives; Gallagher (82. Donnelly), Thomson, Sloan (75. Graham); Ryan (82. Randall), McEneff (79. Lusty).
St. Gallen: Ati Zigi; Vandermersch, Vallci, Diaby, Okoroji; Görtler, Stevanovic, Csoboth (75. Witzig); Geubbels (96. Faber), Toma (75. Konietzke), Akolo (88. Cissé).
Remarks: St. Gallen without Stanic (illness), Quintillà, Fazliji, Ambrosius, Nuhu, Karlen and Milosevic (all injured). Cautions: 37 Ives, 51 Vallci.
Larne
FC St.Gallen
- Abdoulaye Diaby - 1:0 (4.)
- (29.) 1:1 - Lukas Görtler
- (79.) 1:2 - Hugo Vandermersch
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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79.
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29.
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4.
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0.
Commentator Stefan Flückiger looks ahead to FCSG's performance in Belfast: "The atmosphere will be really good"
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90.+7.End of 2nd half
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90.+6.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Konrad Faber
Defender
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90.+6.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Willem Geubbels
Striker
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90.Substitution in Larne
Benji Magee
Striker
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90.Substitution out Larne
Shaun Want
Defender
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89.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Moustapha Cissé
Striker
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89.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Chadrac Akolo
Striker
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82.Substitution in Larne
Mark Randall
Midfielder
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82.Substitution out Larne
Andy Ryan
Striker
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82.Substitution in Larne
Aaron Donnelly
Defender
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82.Substitution out Larne
Chris Gallagher
Midfielder
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79.Goal for FC St.Gallen, 1:2 through Hugo Vandermersch (Christian Witzig)
Hugo Vandermersch
Defender
Assist: Christian Witzig
Midfielder
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76.Substitution in Larne
Matthew Lusty
Striker
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76.Substitution out Larne
Jordan McEneff
Striker
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76.Substitution in Larne
Sean Graham
Midfielder
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76.Substitution out Larne
Dylan Sloan
Midfielder
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75.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Corsin Konietzke
Midfielder
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75.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Bastien Toma
Midfielder
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75.Substitution in FC St.Gallen
Christian Witzig
Midfielder
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75.Substitution out FC St.Gallen
Kevin Csoboth
Midfielder
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51.Yellow card FC St.Gallen
Albert Vallci
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45.+3.End of 1st half
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37.Yellow card Larne
Levi Ives
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29.Goal for FC St.Gallen, 1:1 through Lukas Görtler (Chima Okoroji)
Lukas Görtler
Midfielder
Assist: Chima Okoroji
Defender
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4.Goal for Larne, 1:0 through an own goal by Abdoulaye Diaby
Abdoulaye Diaby
Defender
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1.Start of the match