Olympic heroics of Harrington, Wiffen and McClenaghan can inspire St Patrick's Athletic to European glory, says Stephen Kenny
Ireland's medal winners, including Kellie Harrington, Daniel Wiffen and Rhys McClenaghan have been hailed by Saints boss Stephen Kenny
Stephen Kenny will channel the Olympic spirit tonight as he bids to steer St Patrick’s Athletic one step closer to European group stage football.
The Saints are underdogs against a well-resourced and experienced Sabah outfit who, despite being a recently formed club, contains a host of internationals.
They have 10 players on their books with senior caps for Azerbaijan, Morocco, Jamaica and Slovakia - as well as Vincent Thill who played for Luxembourg when they beat Kenny’s Ireland in Dublin over three years ago.
Pat’s will have to punch above their weight to get past the club that came into being just seven years ago.
But Kenny has seen plenty from Ireland’s heroes at this summer’s Olympics to know that Irish sports stars are champions when it comes to surpassing expectations.
“Tremendous achievements, sheer phenomenal achievements by Irish men and women, it’s great to see, absolutely fantastic to see,” he said of Ireland’s unprecedented medal achievements.
“You know the elite mindset, if you make statements and you don’t back them up, you’re ridiculed very easily in this country.
“Daniel Wiffen obviously certainly makes the strongest of statements but he’s obviously a phenomenon to win the way he has.
“Rhys McClenaghan likewise on dealing with setbacks and coming back, and of course the two rowers Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, amazing.”
Kenny has watched as much of the Paris Games as possible, given the long days in recent weeks as Pat’s have worked through a hectic fixture schedule.
Between their League of Ireland demands and European games, as well as swotting up on previously unknown opponents, it has been difficult to fit in time in front of the telly.
Asked how much he has seen of the Olympics, he replied: “Not as much as I'd have wanted to.
“It's been a real flat-out period; start early and finish late, so I’ve not seen as much as I'd have like to have seen.”
He did get to see Kellie Harrington’s gold medal win on Tuesday night.
“Yeah, of course I did, it was great, a very skilful performance,” he said. “That's the thing that struck me, I can't pretend to be an expert, I'm not, but it was a highly technical performance.”
400m finalist Rhasidat Adeleke has also caught his attention.
“We know that group, Israel Olatunde, who didn't make the Olympics, was in my daughter's class in Dundalk,” said Kenny. “My lads went to his school so they all know him.
“Rashidat is a phenomenon, amazing, the confidence.”
It’s that kind of confidence that Kenny is looking for from his players tonight in Tallaght Stadium, their home from home as Richmond Park isn’t up to UEFA standards for this stage of European competition.
“To qualify for the group stages you've got to do something, only two clubs have done it, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers,” said Kenny.
“The best way of doing it, Shamrock Rovers can do it this time because they won the league, they beat the team from Iceland (Vikingur), they've a phenomenal squad.
“We're seventh in the league and we actually have a chance of doing it.”
He added: “I think I’m encouraged by certain aspects of (recent performances) for sure. We still have a lot to work on.
“This is a brilliant game, a really brilliant game, a brilliant European game here in the third round against Sabah so it’s a fantastic opportunity as well. We must view it like that.
“There’s a play-off place up for grabs. They’re rare occasions. That’s the prize. We must be determined to try and get that.
“That’s the incentive for us, it’s a big incentive.
“They have good attacking players and we’re going to have to defend very well. We’re not a big team, we’re a small team.
“We have to fight on all our set-plays and give inches away and jump more than other sides. We have to defend well and make sure that we do that.”
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