Saints ready for Europa League test
Pat’s last training session in Dublin prior to Tuesday’s departure was centred on just how IBV, who they play in the Europa League tonight (kick-off 7pm), might play. A scouring of a single DVD of a recent game after their arrival proved Mahon was spot on.
“Preparation has gone well,” Mahon said yesterday at the team hotel, across the road from the match stadium.
“We’ve looked at the DVD of them and they are something along the lines of Sligo Rovers in that they play a 4-3-3 system.
“They have some good players with good rotation and movement. It’s very flexible and we’ll have to match that.
“They have weaknesses at the back, in the full-back positions and I wouldn’t be mad about the keeper.
“We have a chance. If we can get enough of the ball I think we can give them problems.”
Matching their three in midfield and snuffing out the threat of 36-year-old striker Tryggvi Gudmundsson, who scored 12 times in 42 senior appearance for Iceland, is central to the Airtricity League leaders’ game plan.
“The whole thing here will come down to discipline and not spend the match ball-watching. If we do we’ll have serious trouble,” added Mahon.
“They have no real pace in the team but they do build the play up well and have good movement off the ball.
“We’ve watched just the one DVD. We had done our training based on what we saw anyway, so we kinda got lucky. We had an idea they played like that and they played exactly like that.”
With Derek Pender, Dave Mulcahy, Stephen Bradley and Danny North over knocks, Mahon has a full squad at his disposal.
“We’ll definitely try to win it. I think the two boys (Kavanagh and North) we have up front will give them a bit of trouble with their pace.”
Probable team (4-3-3): Rogers: Pender, E. McMillan, Shortall, Bermingham; Crowley, Mulcahy, Bradley; Kavanagh, North, Doyle.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
