St Patrick's Athletic captain Ger O'Brien could not hide his disappointment as he labelled last night's defeat by Dinamo Minsk as 'one that got away'.

A first-half goal conceded from a corner was the only goal of the night at Richmond Park, as Saints fell to a 2-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of their Belorussian opponents. 

"It's probably the case with our season," O'Brien lamented. "The way the games have gone, we've conceded a set-piece which kills us. 

"It's just a flick at the near post, it's a horrible one to live with because, to be honest, they didn't overly trouble us. They had a couple of long range shots which Brendan (Clarke) dealt with really well, but I don't remember them getting one-on-ones or opening us up.

"It's going to be one of those hard luck stories unfortunately."

While paying tribute to the quality in the visitors' side, Pat's knew they could trouble them going forward from the first leg but failed to get the breakthrough 

"They're intelligent footballers, you don't get to the groups stages twice in three years without being good footballers but they were vulnerable at the back," O'Brien said. 

"When you go up against good players you have to give them respect, but maybe we gave them too much at times. 

"As I said it's one that we're going to have to live with, it's got away from us."

That disappointment is compounded by the progress made by Cork City and Dundalk this week, and O'Brien admitted a touch of envy at their success.

"We looked at Dundalk last night and it was fantastic for the league and fantastic for them and we're looking on in envy now.

"Hearing Cork's result is great as well, but it's going to be a massive disappointment in out dressing room, and rightly so, because these things only come around once a year."

Pat's manager Liam Buckley also bemoaned the softness of Gleb Rassadkin's decisive goal.

"There was very little in it," Buckley said. "We've given away a poor goal from a set play.

"We'd be disappointed that we haven't got something from the game, we've done well enough to at least get a draw out of it.

"But I can't fault the effort, the quality was good, we just needed it in the final third."