C T interview in the I.T.
Cork not yet ready to take French leave
Mary Hannigan
Intertoto Cup/Nantes v Cork City: Having already eliminated Swedish (Malmo) and Dutch (NEC Nijmegen) opposition from the Intertoto Cup, Cork City's summer tour of Europe takes them to the west coast of France where they play FC Nantes tomorrow afternoon (5.0 Irish time) in the first leg of their third-round tie.
Pat Dolan's team have already broken one Irish club record in Europe (last week's 1-0 win over NEC gave them their third successive clean sheet), a victory over two legs against Nantes would give them another - they would be the first Irish side to reach the fourth round of a European competition.
"It's just been a fantastic trip," says midfielder Colin O'Brien of the team's run so far, one that has featured three wins and a draw against teams they were never expected to match, even, he says, by the club's most optimistic supporters.
"Confidence, as you can imagine, is high now after coming through those two rounds so we're just looking forward to giving it another go against Nantes."
Having taken a 3-0 lead in their home leg against Malmo a month ago the concession of a late goal, five minutes from time, made the away leg appear a tricky prospect - but they won it 1-0 with a Liam Kearney goal on the hour.
Their 0-0 draw with NEC in the Netherlands in the next round was another impressive result, but the failure to score an away goal looked like it might prove costly - but they won their home leg 1-0, Kevin Doyle getting the winner.
Those results, according to O'Brien, are a considerable source of pride, and, he hopes, a positive advertisement for Irish football. "We're conscious we're representing the league," he says, "and people's perception of the league has to change when someone does well in Europe - it's just nice that it's a Cork team that's doing it when Dublin is the so-called stronghold of football.
"It's a huge thing for a Cork side to be involved in Europe but we've gelled as a team, the trips away have brought the lads even closer together. We felt confident enough at the start of the year we could do well and one of our objectives was to progress in the Intertoto - we've done that."
O'Brien puts Cork's progress partly down to the international experience of players like Kearney and Doyle, both of whom played in last year's World Youth Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and Irish under-21 international John O'Flynn, who this week agreed a one-year extension to his contract that will keep him at Turner's Cross until the end of next season.
"These players have played in the international set-up so they wouldn't have any fear of playing foreign opposition, they've come up against those type of players at underage level, the only difference now is they're doing it with a club. They're comfortable at this level, they know what to expect, and so far they've been fantastic for us."
The next hurdle, then, comes in the shape of Nantes, a team who topped their Champions League group just three seasons ago, ahead of Galatasaray, Lazio (who they beat home and away) and PSV Eindhoven, drawing with Manchester United in the second phase before finishing bottom of the group.
Since last season, though, the club has been in turmoil, losing seven first-team players, including defenders Mario Yepes and Sylvain Armand and forwards Viorel Moldovan and Marama Vahirua. They only began their pre-season training a fortnight ago, playing one warm-up game against Swiss second division side Yervdon, which they lost 2-0.
"They finished sixth in the French League last season but there's been a lot of changes to their team since then so even though they have a pedigree there's a newness to their team, so I suppose now is as good a time as any to play them," says O'Brien.
Nantes will be without goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, who was in the French Euro 2004 squad, and the Ivory Coast's Gilles Yapi Yapo, both still on holidays following international duty. Also missing from their 18-player squad are recent signings Colombian defender Alexander Viveros and Paraguayan Julio Caceres, whose registration papers have still not come through. Experienced defender Pascal Delhommeau is suspended.
"In spite of these absences we hope to be competitive," said Nantes coach Loic Amisse, who has been busy downplaying the significance of the game, suggesting he will merely use it as a pre-season friendly.
Amisse also noted Cork's three successive clean-sheets in the competition, largely down to goalkeeper Mick Devine. O'Brien reckons. "He's probably the best 'keeper in the league and he's showing that now in the European games, he's been outstanding for us. But we've defended very well as a team and we've proved, against Dutch and Swedish opposition, that when we work hard as a unit we can achieve something.
"It's going to be hard work again against Nantes. We know they'll be technically and physically good but we are to, we've shown that in the matches so far. If we can match them for that and keep the hard work going we'd be fairly confident we can keep the tie alive.
"It'd be nice to get them back to Turner's Cross with the tie alive, it's been fantastic for all the players, it was the first time for most of us to play in front of a crowd like that in Cork, with everyone behind us, so we want another bite of it," he said, referring to the 7,500 attendance at the second leg against NEC.
"No one expected us to do this well," says captain Dan Murray, "but we're enjoying the moment. Here's hoping there is more to come. To be in the quarter-finals of a European competition is beyond my comprehension. No one believes it. You look at the other teams in the draw, teams like Villareal and Atletico Madrid, and you realise the scale of your achievement. If Nantes under-estimate us in the same way other teams did, we have a chance - a good chance."
O'Flynn, struggling with a stomach strain, is Cork's only doubt for tomorrow's tie - if he is passed fit he is likely to partner Neale Fenn up front, with Doyle starting in midfield.
The second leg takes place next Saturday at Turner's Cross (7.0 kick-off) - the winners will meet the winners of Roda JC Kerkrade (Holland) and FC Slovan Liberec (Czech Republic).
HOW THEY GOT THERE: First round: Cork City 3 (O'Flynn, Murray 2), Malmo 1 (Lukanovic); Malmo 0 Cork City 1 (Kearney). Cork City won 4-1 on aggregate. Second round: NEC Nijmegen 0 Cork City 0; Cork City 1 (Doyle) NEC Nijmegen 0. Cork City won 1-0 on aggregate.
© The Irish Times
