Enjoying the European stage
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Firstly, I'd like to start my latest blog entry by congratulating Shamrock Rovers on progressing to the next Champions League Qualifying Round. Unfortunately I couldn't watch the match as we had our own training session later on that evening but from all the reports that I read of the game Rovers fully deserved to win the tie, with a 0-0 draw enough to see them through.
They will now face FC Copenhagen of Denmark in the next round. Although it's going to be probably the toughest game Rovers could have faced, there will be confidence brimming within their squad and they will be more than a match for their Danish counterparts in my opinion.
In the Europa League 2nd Round 2nd leg tomorrow night in Dalymount Park, Bohemians find themselves 2-0 down Vs Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia. No doubt it will be an extremely tough challenge but it is one I think Bohs can overcome. Pat Fenlon is a great manager and I'm sure he will have his Bohs team fully prepared and ready for the game and I wish them the best of luck.
Going back to our own European adventure, we find ourselves 2-1 down to Shaktar Karagandy of Kazakhstan. The 2nd leg tomorrow night in Richmond Park promises to be an intriguing match as the game has the potential to swing many ways during the course of the 90 minutes. Having obtained a crucial away goal, scored by Dave McMillan after great work by Ian Daly, the match is delicately poised.
A 1-0 win would be sufficient enough for us to progress to the next round. Having been in a slightly similar position in the previous round versus IBV, where we needed to score two goals to progress, we now only need to score one and not concede. Easier said than done I know, but after our performance against IBV in Richmond Park everybody in the squad is confident that we can get the result we are looking for.
On the match itself I thought we performed excellently and were maybe unlucky not to come away with a 1-1 draw. Taking into account the amount of travelling that we did prior to the game, including a 3 and 1/2 hour bus trip on the day of the game itself, the 2-1 loss would have to be considered a great result.
Karagandy are an excellent side in my opinion. They have very technically gifted players who can pick passes at will but also are a very strong physical team. Their two centre halves are the biggest men I've ever seen in my life, let alone on a football pitch, so yet again they are going to be a major threat from set pieces. We also have had great success from set pieces this season so there is no reason why we can't be as dangerous when we are on the attack. The success we have had has come from meticulous work on the training ground and, unlike last week, we had a chance to get a few training sessions under our belt before the game and everybody is raring to go.
This week ,our opponents have had to endure the same gruelling trip that we had to undergo last week so hopefully that will give us an advantage tomorrow night. On another note it's great to have a fully fit squad again going into the match. With the return of Conor Kenna and Dave Mulcahy from injury ,along with Shane Guthrie, who was on loan at Dundalk earlier in the season, we have an extremely strong squad that is very much capable of progressing in Europe and challenging for the league title.
Exciting times lie ahead for all involved at the club and personally I'm relishing the challenge of testing myself against some of the best players in Europe at this stage . I'm sure the Super Saints fans in Richmond Park will yet again create an amazing atmosphere tomorrow night and there is no doubt that they played a massive part in our win in the last round. I would also urge other LOI supporters to get down to Richmond Park to support us as they did in the previous round. Irish fans are amongst the most loyal fans in the world and that loyalty is none more epitomised than Joey and Pam Robinson. The two Saints fans travelled with us across the globe to Kazakhstan and hopefully we can repay that loyalty with a win tomorrow night.
As I end this latest blog entry I have to share something with you all. In my last article I mentioned that when I arrived to Dublin Airport prior to our excursion, I thought we had made a new foreign signing. It turned out that it was none other than Brian Shortall in a heavy grown Borat style moustache. Well here I give you, in his full glory, accompanied by Daryl Kavanagh's Traditional Kazakshtani Hat , Brian Borat Shortall! Enjoy ! :D (image at the top right of the article)
They will now face FC Copenhagen of Denmark in the next round. Although it's going to be probably the toughest game Rovers could have faced, there will be confidence brimming within their squad and they will be more than a match for their Danish counterparts in my opinion.
In the Europa League 2nd Round 2nd leg tomorrow night in Dalymount Park, Bohemians find themselves 2-0 down Vs Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia. No doubt it will be an extremely tough challenge but it is one I think Bohs can overcome. Pat Fenlon is a great manager and I'm sure he will have his Bohs team fully prepared and ready for the game and I wish them the best of luck.
Going back to our own European adventure, we find ourselves 2-1 down to Shaktar Karagandy of Kazakhstan. The 2nd leg tomorrow night in Richmond Park promises to be an intriguing match as the game has the potential to swing many ways during the course of the 90 minutes. Having obtained a crucial away goal, scored by Dave McMillan after great work by Ian Daly, the match is delicately poised.
A 1-0 win would be sufficient enough for us to progress to the next round. Having been in a slightly similar position in the previous round versus IBV, where we needed to score two goals to progress, we now only need to score one and not concede. Easier said than done I know, but after our performance against IBV in Richmond Park everybody in the squad is confident that we can get the result we are looking for.
On the match itself I thought we performed excellently and were maybe unlucky not to come away with a 1-1 draw. Taking into account the amount of travelling that we did prior to the game, including a 3 and 1/2 hour bus trip on the day of the game itself, the 2-1 loss would have to be considered a great result.
Karagandy are an excellent side in my opinion. They have very technically gifted players who can pick passes at will but also are a very strong physical team. Their two centre halves are the biggest men I've ever seen in my life, let alone on a football pitch, so yet again they are going to be a major threat from set pieces. We also have had great success from set pieces this season so there is no reason why we can't be as dangerous when we are on the attack. The success we have had has come from meticulous work on the training ground and, unlike last week, we had a chance to get a few training sessions under our belt before the game and everybody is raring to go.
This week ,our opponents have had to endure the same gruelling trip that we had to undergo last week so hopefully that will give us an advantage tomorrow night. On another note it's great to have a fully fit squad again going into the match. With the return of Conor Kenna and Dave Mulcahy from injury ,along with Shane Guthrie, who was on loan at Dundalk earlier in the season, we have an extremely strong squad that is very much capable of progressing in Europe and challenging for the league title.
Exciting times lie ahead for all involved at the club and personally I'm relishing the challenge of testing myself against some of the best players in Europe at this stage . I'm sure the Super Saints fans in Richmond Park will yet again create an amazing atmosphere tomorrow night and there is no doubt that they played a massive part in our win in the last round. I would also urge other LOI supporters to get down to Richmond Park to support us as they did in the previous round. Irish fans are amongst the most loyal fans in the world and that loyalty is none more epitomised than Joey and Pam Robinson. The two Saints fans travelled with us across the globe to Kazakhstan and hopefully we can repay that loyalty with a win tomorrow night.
As I end this latest blog entry I have to share something with you all. In my last article I mentioned that when I arrived to Dublin Airport prior to our excursion, I thought we had made a new foreign signing. It turned out that it was none other than Brian Shortall in a heavy grown Borat style moustache. Well here I give you, in his full glory, accompanied by Daryl Kavanagh's Traditional Kazakshtani Hat , Brian Borat Shortall! Enjoy ! :D (image at the top right of the article)
