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SirStanleyBowles- 09-13-2006
Derry City v Paris St Germain
Paris St Germain have left three of their French internationals at home for Thursday's Uefa Cup first round first leg tie against Derry City. Vikash Dhorasoo and Edouard Cisse are being rested for a French league match at the weekend while Jerome Rothen is not fully fit and did not travel. Derry boss Stephen Kenny has no fears that his players might freeze. \"Getting our boys focused is not a problem because they are determined to be as good as they can be,\" he said. The Candystripes go into the home leg unbeaten in their 18 competitive home games in 2006 and Kenny says that PSG will \"need to be good to beat us\". \"Getting our boys focused is not a problem because they are determined to be as good as they can be,\" he said. Kenny has no injury worries and thus will have some tight selection calls. Pat McCourt is hoping to earn a starting spot but may have to be content with a place on the bench with Killian Brennan expected his wide midfield role. Fit-again Peter Hutton seems certain to return to the centre of the defence with Ken Oman likely to drop out of the starting line-up, despite a number of fine recent displays. Kenny was giving little away about his line-up on Tuesday morning. \"Whether they are all fit or not, they have all declared themselves fit for this game. \"They all want to play and they are going round Derry and feeding off the enthusiasm of the people in the city.\" Kenny travelled to the French capital for PSG's 3-1 league defeat by bitter rivals Marseilles on Sunday. The result leaves PSG in a lowly 15th place in the French table but Kenny felt that they were unlucky to lose the game. \"They dominated the first half and should have been in front at half-time. \"They have had mixed results (this season) but they did beat Lille 1-0 a couple of weeks ago and Lille beat Manchester United in the Champions League last season. \"They have a lot of quality players and will be a step up for us. Kenny believes that having the home leg first has boosted his team's prospects. \"There was 46,000 people at the game the other night and they are passionate people. \"It will be a little bit different in the Brandywell with 3,000 although our fans will try to make as much noise. \"We're glad we're at home first because it will take a fair side to beat us at the Brandywell. \"And while the suggestion that an Irish team could make the group stages of a Uefa competition has sort of been laughed off, we're only one round away now.\" A member of the PSG backroom staff travelled to Derry to watch the recent 0-0 Eircom League draw against UCD and manager Guy Lacombe saw the Candystripes beat Shelbourne in the FAI Cup earlier this month. \"They even videod the dressing-rooms to remind them of what they had in the 1940s,\" joked Kenny.

SirStanleyBowles- 09-15-2006
Derry City 0-0 Paris St Germain
Derry City kept their Uefa Cup first round tie alive when they claimed a battling first leg draw against Paris Saint Germain at the Brandywell. Killian Brennan hit the PSG woodwork early on as Derry made a bright start. However, PSG produced intense pressure before the break and Brennan and Darren Kelly both cleared off the line to deny Fabrice Pancrate and Albert Baning. Kevin McHugh had a penalty claim turned down for Derry after half-time as the home side held on for a memorable draw. Only 3,000 spectators were able to pack into the Brandywell but the home fans generated a carnival atmosphere with the 400 or so visiting supporters also helping to ensure a colourful occasion. Derry, who started without captain Peter Hutton and Gary Beckett, looked lively early on and Brennan went close with a long-range effort in the seventh minute. Brennan went even closer in the 15th minute when his curling left-foot shot clipped the PSG crossbar with goalkeeper Miuckael Landreau beaten. However, after their nervous opening the French side began to look dangerous midway through the first half. Czech international David Rozehnal tested David Forde with a 26th minute header and three minutes later Brennan had to make a last-ditch clearance to prevent a Fabrice Pancrete effort from putting PSG into the lead. As PSG continued to dominate, David Hellebuyck had Forde scrambling back to push away a long-range effort in the 33rd minute and Darren Kelly then did brilliantly to clear Albert Baning's shot off the line. At that stage the gulf in class between the teams was apparent and Derry boss Stephen Kenny must have been glad to hear the half-time whistle with the game still scoreless. Derry tried to rally after the break and Kevin McHugh had a strong penalty claim turned down by Slovakian referee Richard Havrilla in the 54th minute when he appeared to be felled in the box by Sylvain Armand. Home boss Stephen Kenny introduced Gary Beckett for the Pat McCourt in the 59th minute and PSG manager Guy Lacombe used his main bench option in the 71st minute when Portugal star Pauleta came on. Derry suffered a nervous moment four minutes from time when Ken Oman allowed an innocuous ball to slip under his boot but keeper Forde reacted quickly to clear to safety. Despite more late PSG pressure, Derry held on for a draw that they just about deserved. Indeed, Stephen Kenny's side can still hope for an upset at the Parc des Princes on 28 September as they try to become the first Irish club ever to make it through to the group stages of a European competition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derry City: Forde, McCallion, Hargan, Martyn, McHugh, Brennan (Farren 78), Oman, Deery, Molloy, McCourt (Beckett 57), Kelly. Subs Not Used: Hutton, Higgins, McGlynn, Jennings, O'Flynn. Booked: McHugh. PSG: Landreau, Paulo Cesar, Armand, Drame, Baning (Chantome 85), Diane (Pauleta 72), Frau, Hellebuyck, Pancrate (Kalou 78), Rozehnal, Traore. Subs Not Used: Alonzo, Mabiala, Rodriguez, Yepes. Att: 3,000. Ref: Richard Havrilla (Slovakia).