Hegelmann’s European journey ends after 0–2 loss to St. Patrick’s

FC Hegelmann ended their UEFA Conference League campaign with a second consecutive loss, falling 0–2 at home to Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Athletic and losing the tie 0–3 on aggregate.

After the first leg in Ireland ended with a narrow 0:1 defeat, Hegelmann returned home with everything to play for — chasing their first-ever round victory in a UEFA competition. But the visitors from St. Patrick’s Athletic had no intention of letting the Lithuanians mount a comeback.

The match began with a heavy blow to the hosts. In just the 6th minute, a shot from Conor Keeley was parried by Hegelmann’s goalkeeper, but teenage forward Mason Melia reacted quickest, slotting in the rebound to give the Irish side an early 1–0 lead.

Hegelmann attempted to respond and registered their first shot in the 12th minute, though it was blocked. Seven minutes later, St. Patrick’s nearly struck again as Jake Mulraney’s effort hit the post. The hosts pushed forward, but lacked precision in the final third. As the first half progressed, Hegelmann created several half-chances, but none seriously tested the opposition keeper.

Frustration began to show. In the 44th minute, midfielder Kojič received a yellow card for a rough challenge. At halftime, the score remained 0–1 on the night and 0–2 on aggregate — a steep hill for Hegelmann to climb.

The second half began with renewed urgency from the hosts, but the breakthrough never came. In the 50th minute, St. Patrick’s fired another warning shot wide. One minute later, Hegelmann produced their only shot on target — a tame effort comfortably saved by the visiting goalkeeper.

The final blow came in the 56th minute. Kian Leavy struck a perfectly placed shot into the top corner, doubling the Irish side’s lead and all but sealing Hegelmann’s fate. Down 0–3 on aggregate, the Lithuanians now needed three goals just to force extra time — a near-impossible ask.

Captain Klaudijus Upstas was shown a yellow card in the 65th minute. Despite continued effort and a couple of late attempts — one wide in the 87th minute and another over the bar in the 89th — Hegelmann simply couldn’t find the net.

After three minutes of added time, the final whistle confirmed what had become inevitable: Hegelmann’s European journey ends for this season.

FC Hegelmann vs St. Patricks Athletic – 0:2 (0:1) – 0:3 on aggregate
Goals: Melia 6′, Leavy 56′
HEG: Šarkauskas, Upstas, Armalas, Djoric, Duke, Kojic, Antanavičius (Harouna 70′), Kazlauskas (Kaušinis 70′), Leo Ribeiro (Azouazi 84′), Schhedryi (Popescu 63′), Njoya (Yusuf 63′)
STP: Anang, McLaughlin, Grivosti, Redmond, McClelland (Forrester 79′), Leavy (Kazeem 88′), Baggley, Lennon, Power (Breslin 79′), Melia (Keena 72′), Mulraney (Elbouzedi 46′)