Uefa Conference League qualifying round two, first-leg: Bohemians v Ballkani (Kosovo), Dalymount Park 6pm – live on stream via play.bohemians.ie (€10)
Bohemians manager Alan Reynolds has plenty of footage of the Ballkani side visiting Dalymount Park for the Uefa Conference League second-round qualifier.
The Kosovans took a 1-0 lead to Tallaght 11 months ago only to be obliterated by an outstanding Shamrock Rovers display as Rory Gaffney rolled back the years to score twice in a 4-0 win.
It will be interesting to see if Colm Whelan or Douglas James-Taylor can produce a similarly dominant, lone-striker shift.
Reynolds has brought a level of consistency to Bohs this season that leaves them second in the League of Ireland, seven points adrift of Rovers, with Whelan scoring nine goals to just four from the injury-prone James-Taylor – although the English centre forward has recently found form.
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The arrival of American centre half Patrick Hickey from Galway United and Sam Todd from Derry City has solidified the defence while Ross Tierney and Dawson Devoy share 12 assists between them.
Add the X-factor of Dublin-born, Latvian under-21 midfielder Markuss Strods and Bohs have a legitimate chance of reaching the third round where they will meet the winners of Beşiktaş from Turkey and Danish side FC Midtjylland.
Senan Mullen, on loan from Torino, is an injury doubt but Darragh Power has regained fitness.
Progress to the Conference League proper seems beyond them but edging past Ballkani is well within Bohs’ reach if Dalymount can work its magic one last time before the Jodi Stand is reduced to rubble. It is the old ground’s last European night as Bohs are expected to switch to Tallaght for the third round due to Uefa stadium standards.
“This is Ballkani’s fifth year in a row competing in European football,” Reynolds warned. “In that time they got as far as the Champions League play-off round and to the group stages of the Conference League twice, so they are a club of pedigree with far superior experience at this level than us.
“It will take another massive effort from Bohemians on the pitch and Bohemians off the pitch for us to progress.”
