Uefa Cup: Odense (0) v St Patrick's Ath (0) John McDonnell insists he won't be shutting up shop in Denmark tonight as he tries to mastermind the most memorable of Uefa Cup victories for St Patrick's Athletic over Odense.
With a scoreless draw negotiated from the first leg at Richmond Park two weeks ago St Patrick's find themselves in with a shout of progression, although it still remains a long shot given the pedigree of their Danish opponents.
Indeed some commentators over here are touting Odense as FC Copenhagen's closest challengers in this season's Danish Superliga race, even if they have made a slightly sluggish start that included a 3-3 draw at home to AC Horsens last weekend.
The Danes' season is still in its infancy, but that is something McDonnell's men can exploit at Fionia Park, a 15,000-capacity stadium that is an example to all League of Ireland clubs.
"We'll have a look at it, but if you sit off and sit off they'll just come at you and pin you back and you won't get any of the ball," said McDonnell of tonight's game. "So we might have to have a look at something else and maybe have a little go at them and then maybe drop off and maybe have another go at them, so we're not pressed back all the time.
"You need to go with an attacking mindset because you need to score a goal or we need to get free-kicks or corner-kicks, we need to get up there. I think we had enough of the ball in the last match apart from maybe 15 minutes in the second half.
"But we got through that spell and if we can be tight for the first 15 or 20 minutes on Thursday and then get a couple of chances you never know. If we get a goal, they could have got a couple in Inchicore but didn't, we are bang in there."
Conditions aren't as oppressive as Drogheda and Derry have had to face in San Marino and Armenia respectively over the last couple of weeks. Although the sun did make an appearance yesterday, temperatures were very pleasant.
Another positive development is that two of the Danes' most influential players from the first leg, the Brazilian holding midfielder Bechera and the striker Johan Absalonsen, are out of the tonight's game.
A blow for St Patrick's is that Joe Ndo will not feature. The midfielder was a pivotal figure for Shelbourne in their Intertoto Cup tie with Odense last season, but he is still a week away from full fitness following a knee injury.
The same can be said of Gary O'Neill; Colm Foley and John Frost are also out, but Michael Keane (hamstring), Keith Barker (groin) and Stephen Paisley (back) are all expected to be fit.
Fionia Park, 6.0 RTE Radio 1, MW/LW
