KuPS earned their first point of their League Phase campaign in the UEFA Conference League as they battled to a goalless draw at home against KAA Gent, who have now won just once in five games in all competitions.
KuPS, whose poor domestic form had seen them fall out of the Finnish title race, came into the game in need of a win if they were to have any chance of making it to the next round of the competition, with two defeats from two games stacking the odds against them.
Gent, meanwhile, knew this was an opportunity to get points on the board in their quest for a top-eight finish, but the Belgians struggled to make their dominance count in an underwhelming first half, which saw zero shots on target for either side. The closest the visitors came to breaking the deadlock was shortly after the half-hour mark, when Hyllarion Goore powered into the KuPS box before his cutback was flashed narrowly wide by a backheeled attempt from Josue Vergara.
Ultimately, that was the only moment of any real note in an otherwise disappointing first half, and Gent head coach Rik De Mil will have demanded an improved performance from his side after the interval. To their credit, there was a clear increase in energy in Gent following the restart, and they were much tidier in possession as a result. Nevertheless, although the visitors dominated the second half, they were faced with a stubborn KuPS backline who refused to budge.
Buoyed by their defensive performance, the home side began to build momentum as the half wore on but, just as they appeared to be gaining the initiative, they were almost hit by a Gent hammer blow. Goore powered down the right flank once more and this time picked out Abdelkahar Kadri just inside the area, but his drilled effort was palmed away by Johannes Kreidl.
After a disappointing showing at both ends of the pitch, the two sides had to settle for a point apiece, one which will be more celebrated by KuPS who will hope this can be a platform for a play-off push. Gent, meanwhile, will be left frustrated at failing to notch their second win of the League Phase, and they have now won just one of their past five games in all competitions.
Follow all of tonight’s Conference League action on Flashscore.