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Airtricity League teams aim to progress in Europa
St Patrick's Athletic will be out to build on their first leg advantage when they meet Icelandic side IBV in their Europa League first qualifying round second leg tonight.
The clash at Hasteinsvollur Stadium kicks off at 8:30pm and Liam Buckley's Saints hold a 1-0 lead from last Thursday's first leg at Richmond Park. Despite dominating for large spells, Christy Fagan's lone goal was all the Inchicore outfit had to show for their efforts.
These sides also meet in last year's Europa League and IBV are looking for revenge after their exit last year.
The victors of the tie will progress to meet Siroki Brijeg from Bosnia-Herzegovina in the next round.
Saints boss Buckley said: "If we apply ourselves, we should be able to get through the tie. I expect it to be a tight game and for them to set up differently than how they did in the first leg.
"They have to come out and try to score, which should make it a very open game. But we are very good defensively and we always create plenty of chances so I would back us to score a goal.
"If we do manage to get a bit of luck and score over there then that puts them under a lot of pressure. I think we are capable of getting a result and getting through the tie."
Mark Rossiter remains out out with a knee injury while Dean Kelly is struggling with a groin strain. Chris Forrester should return after an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, BOHEMIANS managed to keep a clean sheet last week but that will only count if they can see off their Icelandic opposition Thór Akureyri in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League first preliminary round tie tonight.
The Gypsies were held to a scoreless draw in the first leg at Dalymount Park last week but manager Aaron Callaghan is "very optimistic" that his team can get through to the next qualifying round.
Callaghan considers many of his players to be on "a huge learning curve" in European competition and thinks a degree of apprehension may have affected their performance in the scoreless draw with last week.
"But we have nothing to be scared of. We had a perfectly good goal against them disallowed," he said.
"I definitely think we can score against them. We just have to make sure that we concentrate at all times and don't concede.
"I'm very optimistic we can get a result over there. The key to it is keeping them out."
Striker Dinny Corcoran (shoulder injury) and midfielder Dave Mulcahy (hip) did not travel. But Callaghan is buoyed by Sunday's performance of a young team that was missing these and others of the more experienced players.
"We kept the ball for large parts of the game. We frustrated them [Cork City] and I was absolutely delighted with the performance.
"It was an error that led to their goal. But when you're playing in an expansive way you're going to leave yourself vulnerable to a counter-attack and we got caught in one."
Bohemians' starting line-up against Cork City showed eight changes from that used three days earlier in the first leg of this Europa League tie.
Some changes were made to avoid having players start three games in a week. But Evan McMillan and Ryan McEvoy were left out due to having strains. They have been confirmed fit for the Thór match.
Callaghan was pleased with the contributions of the players who came in, noting with particular satisfaction the performance of under-19 international Michael Barker who made his league debut. "He came in at left back and was outstanding in that position, although he's a natural right back.
"Roberto Lopes, Danny Joyce and Stephen Traynor in midfield all put a shift in and they were fantastic."
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