Irish sides haven't finished rewriting history
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=14435
IT'S always a pleasure to be a witness to sporting history, and that was a pleasure experienced by roughly 6,000 Eircom League supporters last Thursday when, at Dalymount Park and the Brandywell, Drogheda United and Derry City wrote new chapters in their clubs' and the League's history.
European football has always been the best way to measure the League's credibility, and results since the millennium give rise to the hope that standards are rising, even if the support base remains disappointingly small.
In effect, the clubs, the directors, the managers and the players (and the much-maligned FAI) are all making great efforts to progress up the European rankings, but this has not yet been acknowledged by increased support.
Over 40 years ago, I was a fan on the terraces of Dalymount when a League of Ireland team made history with a 2-1 win over the English League. The winner was scored by the late Ronnie Whelan. Last Thursday, Ronnie's grandson, Gavin Whelan, was one of the stars as Drogheda, for the first time, advanced to the second round of a European competition.
Composure and discipline were the marks of this Drogheda success. Composure, in that they didn't panic even though going a goal behind, and discipline, in that they didn't give away unnecessary free kicks. This was in sharp contrast to a recent game against UCD, in which they did display some indiscipline, and Gavin Whelan was fortunate that the referee was in a lenient mood.
The turnaround in attitude between the UCD game and last Thursday's I put down to manager Paul Doolin and the calm presence he exudes on these big occasions.
IK Start, Drogheda's next opponents in the UEFA Cup, might have their work cut out to get past Doolin's team, especially with the prospect of the return from injury of top-scorer and captain Declan O'Brien.
Patience, which is not an Irish virtue, is a must in European competition. Diving in, tackling from behind, are all heavily penalised, while Cork City captain Dan Murray's impatience with the delaying tactics of the Serbian opposition cost him his place in Wednesday's Champions League return leg in Belgrade. It seemed a harsh penalty, for if Murray transgressed, then so clearly did the Serbian, who had already been booked and should, in justice, have received a second yellow.
Upper-body strength is another area where Irish teams are lacking. Time and again, in Wednesday's game in Cork and Thursday's game in Dalymount, Irish players of light physique were first to the ball, but were then unceremoniously brushed aside by bigger, stronger rivals. In domestic football, the player brushed aside might have won a free-kick, but it's a big boys' game in European competition, and it's refereed accordingly.
It's strange that it should be so, for soccer has always prided itself on being a game suited to any physique. Yet, when the chips are down, small is not beautiful in the so-called beautiful game, so Irish clubs will have to get their players pumping iron if they are to level the playing field in Europe.
Of Thursday's successes, Derry City's defeat of IFK Gothenburg for a second time, was particularly noteworthy. Gothenburg had budgeted for a lengthy stay in the UEFA Cup, targeting the group stages, so Derry's achievement must be viewed in that context.
Gothenburg, twice past winners of the UEFA Cup, are also well into their season and playing well. They are currently third in the Swedish League and prepared for the visit to Derry with a 4-1 away win over Halmstad. In every respect, they were serious opposition.
For UEFA games, the Brandywell is limited to a 2,400 capacity, but, as manager Stephen Kenny put it, "it is one of the few grounds, because of the dome effect, that can have a brilliant atmosphere with so few people in it."
However, he regrets "the serious loss of revenue", which this reduced capacity entails. It still didn't stop the directors preparing for the game in the correct way, chartering their own plane to Gothenburg, and sending chief scout Christy 'Junior' Campbell out in advance to report on the opposition. The FAI's Brian McCarthy also helped out with DVDs of some Gothenburg matches.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the European games has been the fitness levels of the Irish players. Kenny recalled how "we scored in the 80th minute in Gothenburg and were strong at the finish", while Drogheda literally ran HJK Helsinki into the ground in the extra-time at Dalymount last Thursday.
Squad strength is another imperative. Derry were missing their two wingers, Pat McCourt and Killian Brennan, Drogheda had to do without Declan O'Brien and winger James Keddy, while Cork City were decimated by the loss of suspended pair Joe Gamble and Danny Murphy, injured top-scorer John O'Flynn, and the internally disciplined George O'Callaghan.
To achieve so much in the absence of such key players indicates that there is some strength in depth to our European representatives. However, Cork's depleted ranks are unlikely to be sufficient for the mammoth task that faces them in Belgrade on Wednesday.
Stephen Kenny, whose Derry side have been drawn against Scottish Division One side, Gretna, is advising caution, even though many feel that victory must be on the cards in view of Bohemians' dismissal of Scottish Premier Division side Aberdeen not so long ago.
"They may be unfashionable," says Kenny, "but they won Division Two in a canter last year, and only lost the Cup final to Hearts on penalties. There is big money behind them, they are all full-time and Deucher has been banging in the goals for them."
The game will be played in Motherwell's ground, which is near Glasgow. With so many Irish in that city, this could be a home from home game for Derry, who brought 400 supporters to Gothenburg, but expect to bring up to 1,500 to Scotland.
With so much in their favour, there could be more exciting European days ahead for Derry and Drogheda fans, but Cork City, it seems, will have to plan for 2007.
Seán Ryan
