BK Häcken away

The Europa league second qualifying round saw Cork City paired with BK Häcken from Gothenburg, Sweden. It was the reward for eventually seeing off Linfield in the first round. City were away first and that first leg was last Thursday at the Bravida Arena on the island of Hisingen, northern Gothenburg. Our Swedish opponents made this competition by coming from 2-0 down in the national cup final to Malmö to win the trophy on penalties. 

With City in mid-season and on the back of two European games with Linfield we had the advantage of being slightly more match sharp. BK Häcken came into the game on the back of just one competitive game since the end of May. That game was a 4-2 success over Hammarby, a game I watched on a dodgy stream. BK Häcken looked a serious threat going forward with the likes of Paulinho, Nasiru Mohammed and John Owoeri standing out. Owoeri looking like a confident finisher with Paulinho and Mohammed looking threatening out wide. However they were guilty of giving away three penalties in that game, one of which was a blatant dive. Hammarby scored two of those penalties and had chances to level before the BK Häcken sealed the game in the final minute. It has to be said Hammarby were awful throughout. 

Two flights and I eventually arrived in Gothenburg last Wednesday. I was fairly optimistic about our chances in this game all week and was going with an away goal and a draw. Of course it would be nice to win the game and have more away goals but I thought a draw was well within reach. 

The game itself was the opposite of last year's disaster in Reykjavík. City played very well in that first half and were actively pushing the hosts. Half-time 0-0 things were going good. After the hour things would swing from going good to going fantastic. Ball was worked out to Stephen Dooley on the left he ran into the box and was clumsily taken down by Baba Mensah, penalty and Mensah red carded. In the last round both goals in the tie with Linfield were penalties by Sean Maguire. He stepped up and sent Peter Abrahamsson the wrong way, chants of "shit Casper Schmeichel" possibly putting him off. Winning with the away goal, twenty five minutes to play, dreamland. 

The hosts did get into the game after that. Being down a man didn't matter to them, they continued to knock the ball around and were eventually back on level terms when striker John Owoeri found the net with seven minutes to play. The game would end 1-1 and in many ways it was the perfect result but being 1-0 up so late in the game I was slightly disappointed at the end. 

Overall though a good result and well as you can see in the photo on the left I looked pretty pleased in the red jumper. 

Advantage City

Thursday night was the first leg of the first qualifying round of the Europa League. Cork City were pitted against Belfast's Linfield in the draw that took place on June 20th. The closest possible trip we will probably ever get in European competition.

A handy European away trip saw about 250 city fans make the journey to Belfast. A number that may have been higher had there not been a muck up with tickets. The conditions were heavy rain for most of the day which probably played a factor in the pitch cutting up badly throughout the game.
The first half was quite competitive. Linfield had fashioned a couple of openings while City were struggling to force debutante keeper Roy Carroll into flying stops, but that was the come later. The best chance fell to Linfield in the first half when a header was sent over in the six yard box. A major let off.

The second half was more City as the fitness played a major factor. City are mid season albeit only one competitive game played in three weeks but Linfield were on the back of just the one friendly against Knockbreda. City looked threatening and took the lead when Stephen Dooley was felled in the box. Up stepped Sean Maguire to slot the penalty home sending Carroll the wrong way. Delight in the away end. 1-0 and the opportunity was there to push for more goals to really take a proper lead down south. It would've been 2-0 had Roy Carroll not produced a flying stop from a header later in the half. Fresh from being part of the Northern Ireland squad in France,

Carroll was the main reason this tie is still in the balance ahead of Thursday second leg. City couldn't register any more goals but a 1-0 lead is not to be sniffed at.

Incidentally it was City's first win in European competition since a 2-0 away victory against Valur Reykjavík in 2007 in the old InterToto cup.

Next objective is to secure a first home victory in Europe that stretches back even further to the 1-0 success against Apollon Limassol in the 2006-07 champions league qualifiers. A victory and its a trip to Sweden to face BK Häcken from Gothenburg for a place in the third qualifying round, the draw for which takes place on July 15th.