Shels boss Fenlon proceeds with caution

SHELBOURNE may have a healthy 2-1 lead going into the second leg of their Champions League first round qualifier against Glentoran at Tolka Park this evening, but manager Pat Fenlon insists his side must take the game entirely on its own merits.

“I know we’re winning 2-1 but it’s a one-off game and we’ll go out and try to win it,” he says.

“We don’t play any other way. I was very pleased with most of our performance last Wednesday.

“The goal disappointed us, but up to then, I thought we were very good. We played a lot of decent stuff, created chances and defended very well.

"But it was a sloppy goal to concede. There was a lack of concentration and maybe a bit of over-indulgence in areas where you shouldn’t. It took a bit of the gloss off the performance but you can’t take away from the quality.

“If we play as well again, we shouldn’t have a problem.”

Nevertheless, Fenlon says he will be surprised if Shels dominate as they did at The Oval where, until Glentoran’s comeback in the final 15 minutes, the Dubliners had dictated the play and created plenty of chances, only to find the home ’keeper Elliot Morris in inspired form.

“It’ll be a different game,” says Fenlon.

“They have more training, they know a bit more about us and we know more about them. So it mightn’t be as open. I think they’ll come and have a go early and try to nick a goal, but we’ll see if we can get an early goal too and try to put the pressure on them.

"If we create as many chances as we did last week, with Jason (Byrne) and Glen (Crowe) up front I’d put a few bob on us scoring more. But I don’t think we will create as many chances. It will be a tighter game and a tense one.

“I don’t think it will be as easy as some people are making out,” he says.

“They’re a decent side, Glentoran.

“Linfield came here and beat us 2-0 in the Setanta Cup, so that’s a warning. Glentoran won the league, so the players know they’re capable of winning. We’ve got to be on our game to stop them.”

However, Glens boss Roy Coyle says he wouldn’t read too much into Linfield’s win in Dublin and argues that his side should seek inspiration from their own comeback in Europe last season against AC Allianssi.

“We will take great encouragement from what happened in Finland last year when we came back from a goal down after drawing at home,” he says. “My players know they did not do themselves justice last Wednesday.

“They will have lifted themselves and they will also have the support of a lot of fans who can help make a difference.”

As player and manager, Fenlon has only once before defended a lead at home in Europe, when he was part of a Shelbourne side in 2000 which beat Sloga Jugomagnat in Macedonia, before confirming their passage to the next round with a 1-1 draw in Tolka Park.

“Defending a lead is a different situation,” he says.

“But I think the good thing is we’re not playing a continental team. We know we’re going into a derby game with Glentoran and it’s a one-off.

"We’re not thinking about what’s gone on before. Yes, we’ve gone and done a job in Belfast but, it’s the old cliché, it’s only half-time and we’ve got to finish the job off and get ourselves through.”

And, for now, Fenlon is keeping thoughts of continental opposition this year out of mind, even though Shels know that victory over Glentoran will set up a tie with the famous Romanian side Steaua Bucharest.

Fenlon has played in Bucharest (with Pats and Bohs) against both Dynamo and Steaua, but that, he says, was “a long time ago”.

As for the present Steaua side, Fenlon says: “We’ll have a little bit of time if we do go through to have a look at them, and I’m sure Glentoran will be the same. But our only concern now is beating Glentoran.”

But, after their heroics in Europe last season, captain Owen Heary admits the players would love to recreate the big-match atmosphere of the games against Hajduk Split and Deportivo La Coruna.

“We want to experience what happened last year again and we will motivate ourselves by thoughts of a big match in the next round,” says Heary.

With David Crawley fit after recovering from the knock he picked up in Belfast, and Alan Moore close to being fit for 90 minutes, Shels will be missing only Jamie Harris and Alan Reynolds for tonight’s game, suggesting Fenlon will stick closely to last week’s starting 11.

For Glentoran, Roy Coyle welcomes back defender Pat McGibbon but will be without Gavin Melaugh, who has a knee injury, and Mark Glendenning, who is on holidays. However, Coyle believes the goal and late rally at The Oval offers encouragement for this evening.

“We know the size of the task ahead and we know we can improve, especially in the first 45 minutes, where Shelbourne were much the better side and might have been further ahead,” he says.

“But in the last 15 minutes we were more the attacking side, so that has given me hope for Tolka Park.”

Glentoran are expected to bring a crowd of 1,500 supporters for the game, which kicks off at 7.30pm.

Gardaí have advised motorists that Richmond Road between Grace Park and Upper Drumcondra Road will be closed from 6-10pm.