UCD determined to complete assignment against Dudelange

Having created a little bit of history by winning the first leg last week, UCD captain Robbie Benson doesn’t want their European adventure to end with a whimper in Luxembourg tonight (kick-off 5pm).

The First Division promotion-hopefuls defied the naysayers, some of whom went so far as to predict they would embarrass the league, by registering a 1-0 win, the only triumph in Europe by a League of Ireland side last week.

That said, Benson now knows that they will need to tenaciously defend the advantage handed them by Ryan Swan from the first leg at the Stade Jos Nosbaum this evening if they are to further bewilder the cynics.

“The first 10 minutes is going to be huge,” said midfielder Benson. “We have to get a feel of where we are in the game early on.

“What we don’t want is for them to come out and blitz us and then our heads drop. We have to play the game as it happens. We might be looking back at the end of the game saying there were chances for us.”

With his wife, Jenny, overdue on their third child, manager Collie O’Neill didn’t travel out on the team’s almost five-hours delayed charter yesterday, though he is scheduled to come out to Luxembourg this morning, all going well.

“They can’t be too gung-ho,” added Benson of a vastly more experienced Dudelange. “If we score one they are going to have to score three.

“We’re going to be good enough to get a chance at some point in the game.

“Obviously, Ryan has been finishing them all season, but the chance could fall to anyone. We are just going to have to take it. I’m sure if we can get a goal over here it will really throw the cat among the pigeons.” UCD are forced into a change at left-back as Ryan McLaughlin is out with a broken hand.

UCD (probable): Corbet; Langtry, Leahy, Boyle, Coyne; O’Neill; Mulhall, Watts, Benson, Doyle; Swan.