Dejected St Patrick's Athletic players Killian Brennan, left, and Keith Fahey, after losing 5-0 at home to Legia Warszawa in the UEFA Champions League, Second Qualifying Round. Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE

With the League of Ireland, some things never change. One step forward is inevitably followed by two back.

This week was another case in point. Outstanding results away from home by St Patrick's Athletic and Sligo Rovers raised expectations of a significant breakthrough and then when the possibility of claiming a major scalp presented itself, the window of opportunity closed, Pat's losing 5-0 to Legia Warsaw at home, Sligo going down 3-1 to Rosenborg.

On the surface, no one can complain. The financial differences between Ireland's representatives and their Polish and Norwegian visitors are huge and a reality of European football is that those who spend more tend to win more. And yet this week, it could have been different. After 14 years of definite progress, Ireland's teams now enter European games with a defined game plan.

Yet both Sligo and St Pat's clearly demonstrated that their back-up plan doesn't cut the mustard – Sligo proving incapable of taking the steam out of the game when they went 3-1 up on aggregate on Thursday, Pat's falling apart when they were restructured into a 3-5-2 system for the concluding part of Wednesday's match.

"It is so very disappointing," said the Sligo goalkeeper, Gary Rogers.

"We missed a massive opportunity to put away a top team. They didn't really cut us open.

"All they did was capitalise on our mistakes.

"It is kind of a thing that happens (with Irish clubs). Our teams seem to lack that bit of belief to get over the line against the top sides.

"We went over there and probably should have beaten them 2-0, but then we gave away a cheap goal. On Thursday, we gifted them three more.

"You look at League of Ireland teams in general. A lot of the games, you go into and you think: 'You're playing a big team therefore you don't expect to win'.

"That mentality has to change. We knew we were capable of beating Rosenborg in Norway and we did. And in the home leg, we had good chances. But you have to take them."

And those who cough up opportunities face severe punishments.

A victory in Europe equates to sizeable pay days – Sligo would have earned €150,000 for the privilege of sending Rosenborg packing; St Pat's could have collected €1m from beating Legia and earning a date with Celtic, the sort of money that secures the future of clubs and players for a year or two.

Now, though, Rogers – who became a father for the first time when his wife, Linda, gave birth to daughter Bonnie, on Wednesday – fears for his future.

"Lads are professional footballers. There are contracts on the line. In two or three months' time, we will all be out of work and you are only as good as your last game," he said.

"You have to have the right attitude. We have to go about our business for the rest of the season starting tomorrow and get a result and kick on.

LUCKY

"Because what will happen is boys will be out the door. There are very few people in this country who can play full-time football and the lads here are lucky enough to be in that position.

"Unless performances are good, they won't be in that position next year.

"I'm playing for my future and all of the rest of the lads are playing for theirs, too.

"If we don't do well, we will be playing part-time football for half our wages next season and that's the reality of it."

PA Media