Kilmarnock and St Mirren Secure Dramatic Late Draws 2-2 in UEFA Conference League Qualifiers
Kilmarnock and St Mirren both earned vital draws in their third-round qualifying matches on a thrilling night of UEFA Conference League action, thanks to goals scored in the dying moments of both games to maintain their hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Kilmarnock and St Mirren’s attempts to win their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round matches were bolstered by equalizers in injury time.
Bobby Wales’ first Kilmarnock goal came at the ideal time, and the young striker’s stoppage-time equalizer kept his team competitive against Tromso for a shot at European football.
The 19-year-old earned his team a 2-2 draw against the Norwegians in the opening leg of the UEFA Conference League’s third qualifying round by producing an instinctive first-time finish. Killie had also taken the lead early on, but they were unable to build on Kyle Vassell’s opening goal and ended up in a tight situation.
Jakob Napoleon Romsaas gave the home team a careless equalizer just after the half, and Lasse Nordas gave the visitors a second goal on the counterattack.
Before Wales scored, a VAR review resulted in the Ayrshire side’s penalty award being revoked.
When Kilmarnock travels to the world’s northernmost professional football club on Thursday, they will have an opportunity to extend their European adventure thanks to the goal from the attacker, who scored 12 times while on loan with Alloa last season.
“I was happy with the way we concluded the match, the energy,” Killie manager Derek McInnes stated following the game.
“Last season, that was all of us. We never know when we’re defeated, which is why we’re in Europe. We continue, and for Bobby Wales, it was an incredibly memorable occasion.
“amazing determination, amazing spirit. You can never forget how the game ends. They probably believe the game is won. It’s not, and we’re excited about Thursday of next week.”
Toyosi Olusanya, meanwhile, scored a goal in the ninetieth minute to give St. Mirren a late equalizer against Brann, emerging as the team’s hero.
In the first leg of their third qualifier, the home team had prolonged periods of difficulty against the visitors, who moved the ball with purpose and speed, but Ellery Balcombe, the goalie for the Buddies, came to the rescue, holding them at bay.
Midfielder Felix Myhre gave the visitors the lead with a low drive in the 75th minute, but Olusanya tied the score with a close-range effort in the 89th. Saints will gladly go into the second leg in Bergen next week, but they will need to step up their game if they want to advance.
Myhre received the ball and rifled a low drive into the net from a corner through a tangle of men for Brann’s goal.
However, there was drama in the last minute as Olusanya headed the ball across the line after a cutback from James Scott, another replacement, and St Mirren Park erupted in unanticipated joy, reviving aspirations for Europe.
Stephen Robinson, the manager of St. Mirren, expressed his admiration for the players and the club’s perseverance in the tie heading into the away game. He was sad that Olusanya would miss the second leg due to a booking that “looked like the goalkeeper ran into him.”
“It is a fairy-tale story from where the club has come from,” he stated.
“Young boys making their way in the game, not making fortunes of money being able to compete against a very good side with resources way beyond our dreams, so a fantastic storyline.”
