Kuopion Palloseura vs. Derry City FC, UEFA Europa
Conference League Second Round Second Leg, Väre Arena, Thursday 3rd August, kick-off 7pm
Finnish time (5pm Irish time).
It’s half-time in the tie and it is
Derry City who take a narrow lead into the second leg in Kuopio. A magnificent
second half comeback saw the Candystripes overturn a 1-0 deficit to beat KuPS
2-1 in the Brandywell, with players and staff alike praising the electric home
atmosphere.
Goals from
Will Patching and Cian Kavanagh cancelled out an Axel Vidjeskog penalty in the
first round, but the Finns won’t write themselves off just yet. As mentioned by
Simon Collins of the Derry Journal, KuPS were without three starting defenders
due to visa issues.[1] Ibrahim
Cissé, Clinton Antwi and Collins Sichenje did not travel last week, but have
all been heavily involved this season. Furthermore, the possible return of
midfielder Anton Popovitch following an injury will strengthen KuPS as they
look to make good of their home advantage. The Brandywell crowd saw glimpses of
the talent in the Finnish side last week, particularly in the first half.
Number nine Jasse Tuominen was deployed on the left wing and looked lively,
whilst Tete Yengi would have netted if it wasn’t for the right hand of Brian
Maher. Urho Nissilä, whom I highlighted
as a particular danger prior to the first leg, seemed confident. A few shimmies
and stepovers showed that the Finnish international had a bit about him. Ruaidhrí
Higgins and the Derry faithful will be glad to know that the 27 year old left
KuPS earlier this week, following the expiration of his contract. In the backline,
young centre back Tony Miettinen maintained a calm head and looked comfortable
in possession. His battle with Jamie McGonigle in the first half showed that
the twenty year old was not overawed by the occasion by any means. Austrian goalkeeper
Johannes Kreidl was impressive between the sticks too, with his passing ability
proving key to the Finns’ build-up play.
Despite a slow first fifteen, Derry
City upped the tempo and grew into the match. Brian Maher, in spite of a few
wayward early passes, was solid when called upon. His save on the hour mark was
crucial in keeping Derry from going 2-0 down. Full backs Ben Doherty and Ronan
Boyce were central to the home side’s opportunities in the first half. The
former tested Kreidl with a drive from distance, meanwhile Boyce struck the woodwork
twice in quick succession. The centre back partnership of Mark Connolly and
Cameron McJannet was strong throughout, whilst Cameron Dummigan did a superb
job in defensive midfield. With a number of Irish League players making an
appearance in Northern Ireland senior squads in recent times, the Lurgan born
midfielder is surely not far away from a call-up himself. Will Patching also looks
back to his best, scoring three goals in his last five games – including
against KuPS last week. With a recent nomination for the SSE Airtricity/SWI
Player of the Month award, the Manchester City academy graduate’s recent performances
haven’t gone unnoticed.
Patrick McEleney
was the standout player on the pitch last week. He barely put a foot wrong and set
the standard as he captained the Candystripes to victory. His passing was
top-notch, and his confidence on the ball showed how much he enjoys playing on
the European stage. This game against KuPS will be the midfielder’s 48th
in European competition, including two Europa League group stage runs with
Dundalk. Another man who is no stranger to European competition is Michael
Duffy. The Galliagh man posed a constant threat on the left side and was swarmed
by yellow shirts whenever a hint of a cut inside appeared. The former Celtic winger’s
assist for the winner highlighted both his quick thinking and quality.
Substitutes Paul McMullan and Cian Kavanagh did exactly as instructed coming
off the bench too. McMullan’s surging run provided the assist for Patching’s
leveller, whilst Kavanagh was positioned perfectly to bag the winner ten
minutes later. Adam O’Reilly returned from a three match suspension and had a
great opportunity to score Derry’s third late on but fired straight at the KuPS
netminder.
An Artu Heinonen double saw the KuPS cruise
past KTP at the weekend, regaining top spot in the Veikkausliiga in the
process. The 24 year old was a late substitute in the Brandywell, but following
the departure of the aforementioned Urho Nissilä, will be hoping to claim a
starting berth this time round. This win came at the right time for KuPS and ended
a four game winless run. Despite having played one more fixture than second placed
SJK, this confidence boost will be welcomed by Jani Honkavaara as his side
prepare for the second leg against Derry.
Both managers know just how a fragile
a one goal lead can be going into the second round. Should Derry score first,
the Finns will need three to progress. Should KuPS score first, they will level
the score on aggregate and will strive to make use of their home advantage. With
the away goal rule scrapped in 2021, the tie will surely balance on the first
goal in Kuopio on Thursday. A goal-fest
is certainly not out of the equation, with both managers usually preferring to
set up in a more attacking manner. In saying that, KuPS boast the best defensive
record in the Veikkausliiga. Similarly, Derry City have conceded just two more
goals than Shelbourne this season and possess the second best defence in the League
of Ireland. If there are goals, expect them to be of some quality in order to
get past these two defences.
The winner between
Derry City and KuPS will face either Swiss outfit FC Basel or Tobol Kostanay of
Kazakhstan. Tobol provided one of the shocks of the round, as they defeated a
nine-man Basel 3-1 last Thursday. Whilst fans of both Derry and KuPS would have
preferred an away day in Switzerland, Tobol Kostanay would certainly prove the
more favourable draw. Derry have already pocketed at least €150,000 following their first round win over HB Tórshavn, but
progression to the third round would see €550,000 added to their prize pot. Qualification
to the play-off round would see an income of €750,000. It’s definitely too
premature to be speaking of group stage qualification, but it would net €2.94m according to Goal.com.[2]
The Candystripes’
win last week saw the Republic of Ireland’s coefficient rise by 0.250 points.
Elsewhere in the country, a hefty 4-0 defeat at the hands of Ferencváros sees Shamrock
Rovers all but out of European competition this year. Dundalk will also need a
massive performance to overturn their 3-1 loss against KA Akureyri, who
currently sit 7th in the Icelandic topflight. Derry, therefore, may be Ireland’s best shot
at having representation in the third round of the UECL this season.
Pól O’Hare
[1] Simon
Collins, ‘KuPS manager says he must devise a plan for Derry City's 'direct
approach' as defensive trio return’, Derry Journal, 31 July 2023 (https://www.derryjournal.com/sport/football/kups-manager-says-he-must-devise-a-plan-for-derry-citys-direct-approach-as-defensive-trio-return-4238325)
[2] Chris
Burton, ‘What do Europa Conference League winners get? Prize money &
qualification berth explained’, Goal.com, 24 May 2022 (https://www.derryjournal.com/sport/football/kups-manager-says-he-must-devise-a-plan-for-derry-citys-direct-approach-as-defensive-trio-return-4238325)
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