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Faz hoping to finish the job

Having ended Dundalk’s 19-year European goal drought last week, Fahrudin Kuduzovic is looking to fire the Lilywhites into the next round of the Europa League when they host CS Gravenmacher at Oriel Park on Thursday (kick-off 7pm).

 

Kudozovic was a seven-year-old growing up in Bosnia when Ricky McEvoy netted for the Lilywhites against Kispest Honved back in 1991. Although the club has played in European competition twice since then – against Malmo (1995-96) and Varteks Varazdin (2002-03) – they failed to find the net on either occasion.


That goal drought came to an end last Thursday when Kudozovic fired the Lilywhites ahead in Luxembourg. The team found the net twice more during the game to record a 3-3 draw.


This Thursday, the Bosnian-born striker will look to end a 28-year European goal drought at Oriel Park when Gravenmacher come to Louth for the second leg. The Lilywhites have not scored a goal on home turf in European competition since Leo Flanagan scored in their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool back in 1982.


“I think we would have taken scoring a couple of goals over there and coming away with a draw before the game,” the 25-year-old said. “But I think being 2-0 up we were disappointed then that we allowed them to get back into the game the way they did. I think overall we were happy enough.


“I thought for about an hour of the game that we played very well; I think obviously a few things took their toll on us, the heat and the climate. Also, we didn’t really know too much about them. I think those things obviously played a major part. We couldn’t really prepare fully because we didn’t know too much – we were going into the game a bit blind. Overall, I thought we done very well and I think it will be a totally different game here. Oriel Park is a smaller pitch and I think now we know what they’re like, I think we can do much better.”

Faz insists that Ian Foster’s side will not settle for a scoreless draw in the return leg at Oriel Park this Thursday (kick-off 7pm), a result which would be good enough to see Dundalk through a round in Europe for the first time since beating Fram Reykjavik in 1981.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t get at them from the start,” he said. “Personally, I don’t think they’re great at the back, they’re quite slow, I think there are major weak points there and I think as we showed over there we can create chances. I think we should exploit that and really get at them and make sure that we try to keep a clean sheet and score a goal or two.”

 
 
 
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