ANOTHER team which can boast just enough quality to trample the European ambitions of an Irish club and yet remain obscure enough to contribute to their bankruptcy take the field at Dalymount Park tonight when Bohemians start what is likely to be a two-match UEFA Cup campaign against Dinamo Minsk of Belarus.
Both sides have plenty of recent European experience, butt the visitors are somewhat more adept at negotiating these early stages of the competitions.
Having seen off a Romanian side in last season's qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, Minsk went on to beat FK Vienna in both legs, before losing out on goal difference to Werder Bremen in the second round.
Since then they have continued to lose players to more wealthy, western clubs. But with five senior internationals and a further three members of the Belarus Olympic side in the squad tonight, manager Ivan Shchekin's side should come through over the two legs.
Shchekin's team is young, with striker Vladimir Makovski (19), defender Vladimir Ostroikov (20) and midfielder Andrei Dovnar (23) amongst the brightest prospects. The home side will do well to test the 1982 Soviet champions' quick and versatile side.
Bohemians manager Turlough O'Connor says only that he hopes his men "will give a good account of themselves". If they emulate the sort of performance produced by Sligo against Nantes recently, then he would surely be well pleased.
O'Connor's plans have been disrupted by injuries to both first choice full backs, Donal Broughan and Kevin Brady. But the arrival of Eoin Mullen has helped to minimise the damage on the left side, while Tony O'Connor will slot back to fill the gap on the other flank.
In midfield, Derek McGrath joins Brian Mooney, Peter Hanrahan and Jonathan Prizeman for his competitive debut at the northside club, while Warren Parkes will partner Derek Swan up front.
"It'll be a hell of a workout for us," O'Connor said yesterday, adding: "We're happy with the way our couple of outings have gone in the build up to the game.
With four appearances in the InterToto Cup last year, O'Connor is hopeful that his panel can use the experience they have gained to good effect And claims that the team is better equipped for the sort of game they will have to play this evening.
"We have to be a bit more patient, pass the ball a bit more and move well," he said, "but with players like Mooney and McGrath, as well as young Prizeman, who is probably the most improved player around at the moment, we should cope well."
Meanwhile, league champions St Patrick's Athletic play a European match for the first time at Richmond Park tomorrow night when they take on Slovan Bratislava. Tickets are available from the club's offices on Emmet Road.
In action this evening, but with their sights set on a somewhat longer term goal, are Dundalk, with new manager John Hewitt due to send the Lilywhites against his former club, Aberdeen.
The match, which kicks off at 7.45 p.m., will provide an opportunity for the new Oriel Park boss to have a closer look at fellow Scots Paul Paterson, Les Fridge and Ian Nesbitt, all of whom are. currently on trial with the club with a view to signing before the start of the season.
The club, who have confirmed that their planned friendly with Liverpool goes ahead on August 4th, will also play Hearts on Friday night.
Finally, the FAI plans to convene a special meeting of the senior council tomorrow evening to consider what action to take over the organisation's latest difficulty over ticketing.
The current problem apparently arises out of the sale, at well above face value, of tickets for last season's FA Cup final at Wembley which had been allocated by the FAI to a company with which it has close associations. The council is likely to be asked to sanction legal action against the company by the FAI, which needs to protect its already rather ragged reputation amongst its sister organisations.
