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Peamount United striker Aine O'Gorman ahead of tonight's meeting. ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
Preview

Peas prepared for Parisian challenge

As Champions League football comes to Tallaght this evening, Ben Blake previews the clash between the ladies of Peamount United and Paris Saint-Germain.

PEAMOUNT UNITED LADIES will make Irish history tonight when they walk out onto the pitch at Tallaght Stadium.

The County Dublin club, founded as recently as 1983, take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the first of a two-legged knockout tie at the last 32 stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

And with bookmakers offering a whopping 17/1 for a home win, the odds are heavily stacked against The Peas.

It won’t be for the first time, however.

History

While they clinched their first league title as part of an unprecedented treble last season, it was the FAI Cup win which guaranteed them a spot in a qualifying group of Europe’s elite competition.

During a week-long trip to Slovenia back in August, Eileen Gleeson’s side did the unthinkable and progressed as best runners-up — narrowly losing out 1-0 to Spanish champions Rayo Vallecano before bouncing back with superb victories over local side ZNK Krka (7-0) and Estonian outfit Parnu ZK (5-1).

Linda Meehan, the team’s goalkeeper and longest serving member, explains that the decision to tailor their tactics especially for European football paid dividends.

“For the first game (v Rayo Vallecano), we changed our tactics a little,” said the 26-year-old. “Normally we are very attacking but we shut them down and frustrated them.

After 10 minutes, we knew we would be able to achieve something. So despite losing to a 92nd-minute goal, that gave us the confidence to go on and win the other two games.

Captain Louise Quinn, one of six Irish internationals in the Peamount squad, insists that while they plan to be solid in defence and play as a unit, it won’t be a case of 11 players behind the ball for 90 minutes.

“We’re definitely going to go for it,” said Quinn. “It will be vital to keep it safe at the back because of away goals but at the same time we’re not going to sit back and park the bus.

“We will be organised and will work hard all over the pitch and maybe catch them off guard through counter-attacking.”

Passion

Only last week, Quinn came up against three members of the PSG side during Ireland’s 3-1 defeat to France at Turner’s Cross.

It is an exciting time for the Paris club, who became the nouveau riche of French football earlier this year after a takeover from the Qatar Investment Authority, but Quinn says the girls will not be fazed by the visit of a team who finished second to current Champions League holders Lyon in the Division 1 Feminine last season.

“We are aware that they will be fast and quite skilful, so it will be our intention to frustrate them and get in their faces,” she added.

They may see us as predictable in that they will know we are going to show plenty of passion and fight but we won’t be easy to beat.

The fixture at Tallaght Stadium isn’t technically a home one as Peas usually play at their excellent facilities in Greenogue but Meehan revealed the girls are used to it at this stage.

“We’ve played in Tolka Park and Richmond Park in recent times, so we don’t see that as a problem,” she said. “Having our friends and family and a big crowd there will be important though.”

Heart

Former Peas striker Aine O’Gorman has returned to the club on loan having departed for Doncaster Rovers Belles a year ago. The 22-year-old scored Ireland’s consolation in their defeat to France and manager Eileen Gleeson is excited to have her services available once again.

“Aine is a great addition and we are delighted to have her back,” she said. “She brings a bit of pace to the side, she’s Peamount at heart and is back where she belongs.”

Gleeson’s counterpart, Camillo Vaz, is rewriting his own club’s history books in his third season at the helm and the PSG boss has every intention of leading them to the quarter-finals, where FFC Frankfurt will most likely be the opponents.

“We expect a positive score,” said Vaz. “It was difficult to find information about the team (Peamount) but we know they are very good players.”

Whatever the result, the sides will meet to do it all again next Wednesday for the return leg at the Stade Charlety in Paris but Peamount will need to put in one hell of a shift tonight if they are to have any hope of keeping their European adventure alive.

Ben Blake is a freelance sports journalist and a proud member of Ireland’s only Hartlepool United supporters club. Follow him on Twitter @benblakesport.

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