Scoreless stalemate will do for Rovers

EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF: Shamrock Rovers v FK Partizan.Venue: Tallaght Stadium. Kick-off: 7.45. On TV: RTÉ 2: WITH PERFORMING in Europe having brought out the best in him so far this season, stopping the attacking threat of FK Partizan at Tallaght Stadium tonight poses perhaps Conor McCormack's biggest challenge yet.

At least Shamrock Rovers’ 21-year-old defensive midfielder won’t have to worry about shackling Partizan’s “classic number 10”, as manager Michael O’Neill described their 27-times capped playmaker Zvonimir Vukic, who is ruled out due to suspension, after watching the reigning Serbian champions win their opening league game 5-0 last weekend.

But Rovers can, nonetheless, expect to have their hands full in coping with the likes of Brazilian Eduardo Pacheco and former Serbia international Sasa Ilic.

The consensus ahead of the game is that preventing Partizan scoring in Dublin is the absolute requisite if Rovers are to have any hope of making history in becoming the first Irish side to reach the group stages of a European competition.

“No, not really,” said McCormack on whether it’s vital Rovers win tonight’s first leg. “If we don’t concede it’s a big bonus. If we did come out with a 0-0 and then sneak a goal over there you never know what can happen. We’ll try and do our best,” added McCormack, named yesterday as the Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month for July.

Captain Dan Murray, who brings the experience of playing Serbian opposition from Cork City’s tie with Red Star Belgrade five years ago, echoed those sentiments. “You’d probably have to say yes, though you never know in football – they could have three sent off over there!,” quipped Murray on the necessity, or not, of Rovers winning this first leg. “But a clean sheet is probably one of the biggest things we could take out of (tonight).”

Showing they’ve learned from their Champions League exit to FC Copenhagen, when conceding two of three goals from set-pieces, and not putting away the couple of chances they got when on top, will also be key. “The biggest lesson is that you have to score when you’re on top and when the chances come,” said Murray. “And the big lesson defensively is to try not to concede from set-pieces. The goal out there was from a set-piece and arguably the one that killed the whole tie off was from the corner near the end of the first half here.”

Unlike at times domestically, focus simply can’t be allowed to lapse in Europe, stressed Murray. “Concentration can be a little bit off in the league here and you can get away with it. In Europe, especially against the quality of teams we’ve played, you get punished,” said Murray.

“Definitely, you come off after these games more mentally drained that you do any other game. We’re well used to it now. But after losing to the likes of Juventus and Copenhagen, we’d like to beat one of the better teams now, or at least put up a really good fight.”

Slight injury concerns Enda Stevens and Ronan Finn were passed fit to play following training yesterday evening. O’Neill’s main absentee remains central defender Ken Oman, who is out with a knee ligament injury. Midfielder Stephen O’Donnell (hamstring) and striker Dean Kelly (groin) are also out injured.

“They’re probably more adventurous than Copenhagen,” said O’Neill. “Their gameplan is not dissimilar to Copenhagen, as they look to get their full-backs forward. They have more movement in the central areas.

“We’ll try and ask questions of the opposition, that’s all we can do. The reality is that at this level sometimes you can’t attack because you don’t have the ball. You’ve to make sure when that arises, you’re strong defensively and your shape is good. I think we’ve had that in European games. The team we pick is capable of winning the game.”

Partizan manager Sasa Stanojevic stressed the importance of the tie to their season, following their surprise defeat in the Champions League qualifiers to Belgian side Genk.

“We are very motivated and we will try to get a good result to give us the advantage to make the group stages of the Europa League,” said Stanojevic.

“I think they (Rovers) are a very aggressive and disciplined team who have their own style of play. (But) I think that we are the favourites in both matches.”

SHAMROCK ROVERS(probable); Thompson; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Stevens; McCormack; McCabe, Turner, Finn, Dennehy; Twigg.