Cork City Under-19s will face their counterparts from AS Roma in the second round of the Uefa Youth League after defeating one of the biggest club’s in Finland, HJK Helsinki, 1-0 at Turner’s Cross.
The home team had a number of excellent chances to take the lead in the first half but a penalty from Aaron Drinan - just after play had resumed - was enough to seal a famous win for the Leesiders.
It’s the first time an underage League of Ireland team has played competitively in European competition and, despite having to hang on for dear life in the final minutes, David Coffey and his team-mates kept the Finns at bay.
Cork City were unchanged from the side that secured a 0-0 draw away in Helsinki, while HJK made three changes with Obed Malolo, Jusif Ali and Lassi Lappalainen all drafted in.
Stephen Bermingham’s side started brightly with early chances for Drinan and Kevin Taylor. However, after weathering the expected early attacks from the home side, HJK mustered up their first chance with 20 minutes gone - Lappalainen racing clear down the right, only to see his whipped cross miss the waiting Saku Ylatupa.
Conor McCarthy, so influential at the back for City, was first to register a full opportunity to break the deadlock. Cian Coleman was fouled 35 yards out from the HJK goal and Taylor’s set piece found McCarthy, who directed his header just to the right and wide.
Having seen a cautious opening half hour, the game started to open up after that. Valtteri Vesiaho curled a direct free kick well off target on 30 minutes before Omar Jama planted another set piece straight into the hands of of Coffey four minutes later.
That was about as good as it got for the Finns – at least in the first half. Daire O’Riordan had a huge chance to put the hosts ahead on 38 minutes when HJK goalkeeper Robin Kallman spilled a back pass and the attacker picked up the loose ball before snatching at his shot and sending it horribly wide with an empty goal in front of him.
Half chances for O’Riordan and Alec Byrne followed before the former registered another fantastic effort. A great run out of defence by McCarthy saw O’Riordan’s shot tipped on to the crossbar by Kallman, much to the disbelief of the 1,287-strong crowd.
It took City less than a minute to move ahead in the second half. Omar Jama, under pressure from O’Riordan, handled the ball in the box and referee Petur Reinert of the Faroe Islands pointed straight to the spot. Up stepped Drinan to smash the penalty kick to the back of the HJK net.
Ylatupa and Lappalainen combined to forced Coffey into a decent save on 52 minutes and the City number 1 was to the rescue once again just past the hour mark when he blocked Timo Stavitski’s goalbound shot with his foot - from a deadly accurate Henrik Olander cut back.
Alec Byrne headed inches wide from Taylor’s corner on 73 minutes before HJK had the best chance of their game. The Finns notched up the corner tally in the second half and Vesiaho’s set piece saw substitute Eetu Vertainen direct a header just wide.
Another Vesiaho corner caused trouble for the home side as the game ticked into the final 10 minutes but McCarthy was able to hack the ball away with opponents closing in to pounce.
Both Antti Ulmanen and Olander had efforts saved by Coffey in dying minutes – the hosts completely out on their feet at this stage - and Cork City were left to savour another historic night in Europe for the football club once the full time whistle blew.
Cork City U19: David Coffey; Pierce Phillips, Conor McCarthy, Adam O’Sullivan, Kevin Taylor; Denzil Fernandes, Alec Byrne, Cian Coleman, Chiedozie Ogbene; Daire O’Riordan (Patrick Crowley ’89, Cian Leonard ‘90), Aaron Drinan (Jordan O’Regan ’85).
Substitutes: Adam Mylod, Ross Welch, Ronan Hurley, James Fitzgerald.
HJK U19: Robin Kallman; Joachim Bockerman, Aapo Halme, Valtteri Vesiaho, Henrik Olander; Timo Stavitski (Tuukka Kurki ’85), Omar Jama (Eetu Vertainen ’69), Obed Malolo, Saku Ylatupa, Jusif Ali (Antti Ulmanen ’46); Lassi Lappalainen.
Substitutes: IImari Hieta, Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan, Kalle Salmi, Elias Mattila.
