Derry seek to consolidate lead, but Drogheda have it all to do
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Norway, the FAI Cup holders host IK Start in Dalymount Park this evening (k.o. 7. 45pm) knowing that they must walk a tightrope between having to chase the tie and not conceding what could be a decisive away goal.“We know it’s not going to be easy,” says Drogheda boss Paul Doolin, “but I thought we had some good passages of play in Norway and might even have nicked a draw. I think it will be a little bit cagey tonight — we can’t afford to go out with a General Custer attitude and just charge forward.”
Drogheda go into the game without ineligible striker Declan O’ Brien and the suspended Brian Shelley, while IK Start could make one or two changes from the side which gave them an edge in the first leg.
Manager Stig Inge Bjornbye will be hoping that things run a little more smoothly on the pitch than they did during the team’s journey to Dublin yesterday. Bjornbye himself needed assistance at the Irish end to get through the airport with a damaged passport while one of his players actually left his passport at home and had to follow the squad on a later flight.
But the bigger picture is definitely encouraging for Bjornbye, who has seen his side put together an eight game unbeaten run, five of them coming since he took over the reins as manager. And the calibre of his squad can be judged by its inclusion of three full Norwegian internationals, two of whom — midfielders Kristofer Haestad and skipper Fredrik Stromstad — featured in the national team’s 1-1 draw with Brazil in Oslo last week.
Insisting that his team would not set out simply to protect their lead tonight, Bornnbye said yesterday at Dalymount: “Our strength is not in putting 10 men behind the ball to try and get away with a 0-0 result. Sitting back doesn’t suit us. We respect the fact that we’re playing away but the pitch looks quite big and that means we should be able to spread the game a little bit.”
Still, the former Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers star says he expects a tough examination of his players tonight — but it’s one he reckons they can stand up to.
“I wasn’t surprised by Drogheda’s performance in the first leg, ” he says. “We didn’t get much space and they like a tackle — but that suits the Vikings from Norway.”
Holding a substantial 5-1 lead from their first leg in their UEFA game against Scottish First Division leaders, Gretna FC, Derry City will take nothing for granted at the Brandywell tonight. Predictably considered strong odds-on favourites to progress to the UEFA Cup first round proper, “Candy Stripes” boss, Stephen Kenny, has ruled out complacency and expects a very tough game.
“There’s no doubt that Gretna are hurting after our win in Motherwell two weeks ago and the fact that they’ve now won their third consecutive league fixture says quite a lot about their attitude,” said Kenny at yesterday’s pre-match Press Conference in the Brandywell. “They will attempt to regain their pride and while we hold a very healthy advantage, it’s vital that we do nothing silly and remained totally focused,” he added.
On the team front, Derry will again be without their influential skipper, Peter Hutton, who has been ruled out for another three weeks with blood-poisoning while left-sided midfielder Killian Brennan also remains on the injured list with a knee problem.
With Shaun Holmes cup-tied — he played for Glentoran in this competition before his arrival at the Brandywell — the only good news is the return to the squad of Cork man Stephen O’Flynn.
The Mallow native is expected to start the game on the left flank, a position he occupied with great success in the first leg in Scotland.
The Scottish club, owned by multimillionaire Brooks Mileson, had high hopes of progressing and their main striker, Kenny Deuchar, agreed that it was now a big ask.
“We’re here to restore our pride after the first leg and while it’s not impossible that we could go through, it’s will be tough.”
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