Europa League: Boss races home for birth after UCD's shock win

"Can't believe that. What a game. What a bunch of lads. Amazing feeling," tweeted player Niall Corbet.

As West Ham's big earners eased into the second qualifying round of the Europa League, a group of students from Ireland matched that feat on a remarkable night in Luxembourg.

University College Dublin (UCD), third in the League of Ireland second tier, defeated 11-time national champions F91 Dudelange on the away goals rule for, arguably, the greatest result in their 120-year history.

They played with 10 men for more than an hour of the second leg after their left-back Sean Coyne was sent off.

But Ryan Swan's away goal proved priceless for the students, who lost 2-1 on the night but finished with an aggregate score of 2-2.

It meant victory by virtue of having scored more away goals for UCD who, like the Hammers, entered the competition through Uefa's Fair Play system.

But the drama was not over. Manager Collie O'Neill had to make a dash back to Dublin to be present for the birth of his third child. He succeeded, with wife Jenny delivering baby Carl at 05:45 BST on Friday.

"So good of my wife to hold on until I got back from Luxembourg," tweeted O'Neill.

UCD, who played Everton in the 1984-85 European Cup Winners' Cup, next face Slovakian side SK Slovan Bratislava.