Peamount daring to dream of stunning PSG

PEAMOUNT UNITED versus Paris Saint-Germain.

Not the kind of sentence you might have ever expected to appear in print and yet the two come face to face at Tallaght Stadium tonight (7.45pm) in a Champions League qualifier.

It is an astonishing achievement for the Irish outfit founded in 1983 and run on a volunteer basis.

Peamount are here thanks to their FAI Umbro Women’s Senior Cup success last season and their ability to emerge on goal difference as one of the best runners-up from group qualifying stages in Slovenia last month.

A 1-0 defeat to Spanish champions Rayo Vallecano was followed by wins against Estonia’s Parnu and Slovenian champions Krka. Those results mean Peamount are the first Irish team to qualify for the knockout stages.

“There is a little bit of nerves but we will channel that into positive energy,” said coach Eileen Gleeson. “It is a huge opportunity for us.”

Five of United’s squad featured for Sue Ronan’s Irish side which lost out 3-1 to France in a Euro 2013 qualifier at Turner’s Cross last week. The visitors that night were represented by three PSG players.

The cash that flowed into the PSG coffers following the takeover by Qatari Sports Investments has yet to flow down to the women but Camillio Vaz’s side still finished second in the French championship behind Lyon.

Peamount are without Denise O’Sullivan who has returned to Cork and Wilton since the group stages but have balanced out that disappointment with the return of Aine O’Connor after a spell at Doncaster Belles.

“Everyone wants to see if they can step up to the challenge,” said United’s captain Louise Quinn. “If they can then they can play at an even higher level, play for a European club or keep building the club we have to a higher level and keep going into Champions League competitions.”