Cork's conquerors Genk progress to Europa League last 16

Cork City's Europa League conquerors KRC Genk advanced to the last 16 of the Europa League tonight while Dundalk's group stage opponents Zenit and AZ were both eliminated.

The Belgian cup holders beat Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu 1-0 at home to seal a narrow 3-2 aggregate win, having taken control of the tie with two away goals in Bucharest.

Genk topped their Europa League group ahead of Spain's Athletic Bilbao, Austrias' Rapid Wien and Italian side Sassuolo, putting the Leesider's valiant 3-1 aggregate defeat into perspective.

They did so without two players from the side that eliminated City in the Third Qualifying Round, Wilfred Ndidi and Leon Bailey having signed for Champions League sides Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Zenit St Petersburg were desperately unlucky to fall foul of another Belgian side, last year's Belgian league runners-up Anderlecht.

That tie finished 3-3 on aggregate, with the Belgians advancing as a result of Kiesse Thelin's 90th-minute goal in a 3-1 defeat at the Petrovsky Stadium.

It sealed a bumper evening for the three remaining Belgian sides in the competition, as KAA Gent secured a 3-2 aggregate win after drawing 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.

And AZ, who sealed passage to the knock-outs with back-to-back wins over Dundalk in Tallaght and Zenit, were dealt a heavy 11-2 aggregate defeat at the hands of Olympique Lyonnais.

Lyon won the first leg 4-1 before a Nabil Fekir hat-trick sent the French side on their way to a punishing 7-1 win at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, the same venue where the Republic of Ireland were eliminated from Euro 2016 by the hosts.