Cork fly flag for Irish soccer

Cork City manager Pat Dolan believes his side are flying the flag for Irish football as they head into an Intertoto Cup quarter-final with French side Nantes tomorrow. Cork, the first Irish club side to feature in the quarter- finals of any European competition, visit the Stade de la Beaujoire looking in good shape.

Dolan said: "This is the stuff of dreams. We've played and beaten a Dutch and a Swedish top-flight team, won home and away and didn't concede a goal against Nijmegen. This is great for all of Irish football. It's not about me, it's about the players."

Defender Alan Bennett believes Cork's progress has partly been down to the complacency of their opponents. He said: "Even after we got a 0-0 draw in Holland, Nijmegen were calling us an average amateur side. Nijmegen underestimated us, as Malmo did. We've been written off since the start, but we've also been well prepared. I don't think that Malmo or Nijmegen knew too much about us but we knew everything about them. We could go to Pat Dolan and ask him anything. He had us well drilled. He knew their stats, their positions, everything. It's a dream come true to play a team like Nantes. It's French football and a great chance to test yourself against the best. I can't wait."

Cork have a clean bill of health ahead of the biggest game in the club's relatively short history as Dolan hopes to set up a possible meeting with either Dutch side Roda or Liberec from the Czech Republic. Cork, who lie third in the eircom League, have a backlog of domestic fixtures that now stretches to four League games and an FAI Cup tie away to UCD which had been scheduled for next weekend, but that clashes with Cork's second leg against Nantes.

FC Nantes Atlantique have announced a full strenght squad for tomorrow night's tie at  Stade de La Beaujoire. Coach Loic Amisse told The Examiner: "We hope to be competitive. Facing Cork we hope to get a victory because we always play to win. This is a very well-organised Irish team. We will have to take the game to them and find an early opening and goal. I hope that it will be a good night for FC Nantes"

Nantes squad: Perica Radic, Willy Grondin, Alexis Thébaux, Stephen Drouin, Emerse Fae, Frédéric Da Rocha, Aurélien Capoue, Mahieu Berson, Olivier Quint, Nicolas Savinaud, Jérémy Toulalan, Hassan Ahamada, Luigi Glombard, Fodil Hadjadj, Loïc Guillon, Denis Stinat, David Leray, Loïc Paillères.

Amisse's expected starting eleven is: Grondin, Guillon, Savinaud, Drouin, Capoue, Berson, Toulalan, Fae, Da Rocha, Quint, Ahamada.

Meanwhile, tickets for the return leg on Saturday July 24, kick-off 7pm, are now on sale. Ticket prices are Adults: €20 (€16 before July 24th),  U-18's: €10 (€8 before July 24th).

Tickets are available from: The Club Shop, The Horseshoe Inn, The Lough Laundrette, Lennox's Laundrette, Bandon Road, Connie's Chipper, Cathedral Road, Murphy's Chipper, Gerald Griffen St,  Cashman's Bookmakers, Maylor St, The Anglers Sports Lounge, Blarney St, Ballincollig Motors, Ballincollig,
Rosie's Bar, Main St, Carrigaline, The Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal andThe Lakelands Bar, Mahon.

Filed by Mark O'Neill-Cummins