The prize on offer for progress in the Europa League battle between St Patrick's Athletic and Dinamo Minsk is, in all likelihood, a less-than-attractive trip to Serbia to face Vojvodina in the next round of the competition.

But the Belarus club have shown their seriousness about the task, and their bitter disappointment with Thursday's 1-1 draw at home to St Pat's, by sacking their manager in the aftermath of that draw.

UEFA had little good news for the three Irish clubs still in European competition with the draws for the third qualifying rounds.

Should Dundalk get past FH of Iceland - the Lilywhites are up against it following a 1-1 draw at home - their prize will, probably, be another date with BATE Borisov, presuming BATE don't throw away a 2-0 lead from the first leg of their second round tie with Finnish side Seinäjoki.

Cork City, who are in a good position to get by Swedish outfit BK Hacken following a 1-1 draw in Gotnenburg on Thursday, would play the winners of the tie between Genk (Belgium) and Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro).

St Pat's are also in the provisional draw for the third round, as progress would earn them a date with Serbian outfit Vojvodina, presuming they don't lose to Welsh club Connah's Quay.

The Saints were elated by the 1-1 draw in MInsk last week, Chris Fagan again their hero, but Dinamo were less than enthused as they have dismissed manager Vuk Rasovic. In his place comes veteran coach Sergei Borovsky, a former USSR international who played at the 1982 World Cup finals.

"Thursday's result was not what we wanted or expected, so we now move on to the next game in Dublin and that is our focus," the club said.