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24/07/2003
Glens European dream is Finnish-ed
Irish League champions Glentoran were in philosophical mood today following last night's 1-0 defeat by HJK Helsinki in their first round, second leg qualifying game in Finland.
The Glens needed only a score draw to progress through to a second qualifying round tie against MTK Hungaria. However, a 73rd minute strike by HJK's Juho Makela was enough to see another Irish League side knocked out of an opening round European fixture.
Glentoran winger Tim McCann and midfielder Michael O'Neill both felt the Glens should have got something more out of the game, describing the Finnish side's goal as "scrappy".
McCann said: "You just feel as though it’s the same every year, we just don’t get the rub of the green. We do so well and if we had taken our chances at home we would be in the next round because there is no way they would have scored two goals against us."
O'Neill added: "There is a very, very fine line between success and failure. We were in the game right up until the death and to be honest, them scoring didn’t really change the game because we still needed to score anyway."
Last night's match in the Pohjola Stadion was an evenly-contested game, much in the same vein as the first leg in Belfast which finished without a goal.
However, despite some fine efforts by Scott Young and Colin Nixon it wasn't the east Belfast side's night. Roy Coyle's men must now turn their attention to defending their Irish League title with the new campaign beginning next month.
(MB)
The Glens needed only a score draw to progress through to a second qualifying round tie against MTK Hungaria. However, a 73rd minute strike by HJK's Juho Makela was enough to see another Irish League side knocked out of an opening round European fixture.
Glentoran winger Tim McCann and midfielder Michael O'Neill both felt the Glens should have got something more out of the game, describing the Finnish side's goal as "scrappy".
McCann said: "You just feel as though it’s the same every year, we just don’t get the rub of the green. We do so well and if we had taken our chances at home we would be in the next round because there is no way they would have scored two goals against us."
O'Neill added: "There is a very, very fine line between success and failure. We were in the game right up until the death and to be honest, them scoring didn’t really change the game because we still needed to score anyway."
Last night's match in the Pohjola Stadion was an evenly-contested game, much in the same vein as the first leg in Belfast which finished without a goal.
However, despite some fine efforts by Scott Young and Colin Nixon it wasn't the east Belfast side's night. Roy Coyle's men must now turn their attention to defending their Irish League title with the new campaign beginning next month.
(MB)
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