Rovers not complacent

Intertoto Cup first round, second leg: Complacency won't be a threat to his side's hopes of completing their passage through…

Intertoto Cup first round, second leg: Complacency won't be a threat to his side's hopes of completing their passage through to the second round of the Intertoto Cup at Richmond Park tomorrow (3.15 p.m.), insists Shamrock Rovers manager Liam Buckley. Paul Buttner reports.

Rovers surprised their Polish hosts by coming from behind to earn an unlikely 2-1 first-leg win last Saturday with late goals from Stephen Grant and Tony Grant.

"I don't see us being complacent," said Buckley, "it's too important a game for us to allow that to happen.

"It was a very tight game over there and could have gone either way. If they had won 2-1 we would have been disappointed and I can assure you they were disappointed to have lost 2-1."

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Perhaps all too mindful of the 7-0 hammering inflicted on Shamrock Rovers by their neighbours, Gornik Zabrze, in a UEFA Cup game nine years ago, there was more than a suggestion that Odra underestimated their visitors.

When asked after the first-leg if that was the case, especially considering he started only five first-team regulars, Odra coach Ryszard Wieczorek said his side had played their usual physical, pressing game. Ominously, Wieczorek added that Odra would be more prepared mentally for the return and that the tie was far from over.

Aside from the likelihood of second choice goalkeeper Tony O'Dowd coming back into the squad having recovered from a dislocated elbow, Buckley says he'll go with much the same squad of 20 he brought to Poland and will almost certainly field the same starting eleven.

Nor will Buckley change his 4-4-2 tactical approach as he goes out to win the game, with wingers Shane Robinson and Stephen Grant expected to see more of the ball to attack Odra down the flanks.

"We kept it tight over there," said Buckley. "I had Shane and Stephen working more as midfielders, as distinct from wingers, to make it more difficult for them to break us down. While Richmond Park is a narrower and shorter pitch, the two lads have done well there this season."

Top scorer Jacek Ziarkowski is Odra's chief concern having retired half an hour from the end of the first game due to a groin strain.