Irish sides set to bow out

UEFA CUP PREVIEW: Ireland's UEFA Cup entrants, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers, head into this evening's second leg games with little more than pride to play for in the wake of disappointing performances a couple of weeks ago against Varteks of Croatia and Sweden's Djugardens respectively.

While there would be some benefit to the league in terms of its European co-efficient if the clubs could manage results this evening, both ties were effectively killed off when the Swedes won 3-1 in Dublin and Verteks overran Dundalk at home by 5-0.

Avoiding a similar hammering in the second leg is likely to be the main priority for Dundalk who, because of their lack if seating at Oriel Park, play the return match against the Croats at Tolka.

Having seen his side picked apart by the skills of Varteks players such as Miljenko Mumlek, Veldin Karic and Danijel Herman in the first outing, Martin Murray will know that a huge improvement will be required this time out.

With the tie already all but won the Croats may opt to rest a number of their first-choice players but even then they should be capable of posing considerable problems for a Dundalk team that will have Ross Darcy in central defence in place of the suspended Donal Broughan. Noel Melvin misses the game due to a hamstring problem while both David Hoey and Chris Lawless are minor doubts.

Shamrock Rovers will be without Greg Costello and Derek Tracey for their game because of injury while Marc Kenny is again suspended. Richie Byrne will have an eye injury checked before a decision is taken on his ability to participate.

Rovers's cause is further undermined by their dismal form of late in the National League but the fact that the Swedes have not done so well at home lately is seen as a slightly encouraging sign.

"If we can score first then the tie becomes a 3-2 affair," says Liam Buckley, "and at that stage it would be a tight affair."

He admits, however, that having failed to contain their opponents in Dublin two weeks ago the ball is very much in the court of the home side who need absolutely nothing out of the game in order to progress to the next round.