Pete Mahon has insisted his Bohemians side will put the emphasis on attack despite going into tomorrow's Champions League second qualifying round second-leg 2-1 down to Sweden's Halmstad. Mahon, in his first year in charge at Dalymount Park, believes his double winners are well capable of continuing their excellent away form in Europe, especially in light of their impressive display in last week's first leg.
Glenn Crowe got the opener in the first half but could have had a hat-trick but for the intervention of the Swedish 'keeper, and Mahon is confident a repeat performance in Sweden could see Bohs through to a lucrative clash with Belgian side, Anderlecht or Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol. He insisted: "We may have lost 2-1 in Dublin in the first leg last week when we should at least have managed a draw. But I am quietly confident that we still have a real chance of reaching the third qualifying round of the competition."
Halmstad proved their vulnerability at the back on Saturday when they drew 3-3 with Malmo in a Swedish League game, a result which has given Mahon even more encouragement. However, he admitted that the Gypsies could not afford to give away an early goal if they are to entertain serious intentions of overturning the scoreline. He added: "We do not want to give away a soft early goal. That would really give us a mountain to climb."
Mahon will be without striker Alex Nesovic, who did not travel with the squad to Sweden yesterday after a bust-up prior to Sunday's 2-1 victory over Wycombe at Dalymount Park. 19-year-old Gary O'Neill and Trevor Molloy will battle to replace him as speculation mounts surrounding Nesovic's future, with O'Neill favourite to get the nod following his impressive link-up with Crowe in Sunday's victory. Mahon stressed: "Alex is still a Bohemians player. We will sort that problem out when we arrive home on Thursday. Trevor has looked very sharp in training over the past two days, but I won't make any final decision until just before kick-off."
Filed by Shane Murray
