Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GO ON THE ATAK
Skipper: They’re dangerous, we can’t sit back
CAPTAIN Stephen O’donnell is determined Coleraine produce a front foot performance as they chase a little bit of European history against Spartak Subotica at the Showgrounds.
The last time the Bannmen, who secured a valuable 1-1 first leg draw in Serbia last week, progressed on a major European stage was in the old Fairs Cup in 1970.
They did clear a hurdle of the lower profile Intertoto Cup in 2002 – but reaching the next round of the Europa League would stand comparison to the club’s Fairs adventure of 48 years ago. Ahead of tonight’s eagerly awaited showdown on the Ballycastle Road, O’donnell said: “It would be fantastic to progress. It’s a one off tie and we really have everything to play for.”
A 4-3 aggregate win over Kilmarnock in 1970 – including a memorable 3-2 away victory in Scotland – eased Coleraine into the next round of the Fairs Cup where they lost to Sparta Rotterdam.
Almost half a century later, Oran Kearney’s men boast a similar incentive as they bid to upset the odds against a Subotica side who required a 96th minute equaliser in the first leg.
And while O’donnell accepts the Serbian full-timers are capable of clicking “up the gears”, he believes the Bannmen should approach the tie with confidence.
He said: “We always said we didn’t want to be in this round of the Europa
League to make up numbers. We have an away goal from the first leg and we remain in control of the tie.
“There’s a fantastic tie awaiting us in the next round – against
Sparta Prague – if we can get through, so it sets up a fantastic game in front of our own fans.
“That’s not to say it won’t be tough and we know we’ll have to produce a big performance, but we believe we have the quality and belief to match Spartak.”
A huge plus is the fact Coleraine, who know a clean sheet would see them progress, boast a formidable record at the Showgrounds where they went 18 league games unbeaten last season.
“We feel the Showgrounds is a fortress for us and everyone knows how well we play there,” said O’donnell who admitted “mixed emotions” after last week’s draw in Novi Sad.
Coleraine were seconds away from victory thanks to Darren Mccauley’s, inset, opener, before Mile Savkovic’s last-gasp spot kick left a bitter taste in the mouth.
He said: “After the game, we were bitterly disappointed, but looking back now, we’re immensely proud of how we played. Getting an away result was a great achievement. “We put them under pressure in the firsthalf but maybe defended a bit more in the second.” Manager Oran Kearney, who missed last week’s game, returns to the dugout this evening.