IK Start (Norway) -v- Drogheda United (Ireland)

Kristiansand Stadion (Thursday 6pm Irish Time)

UEFA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round, First Leg

IK START

I.K. Start is a Norwegian football club from the town of Kristiansand. The club was founded on September 19, 1905. They play their home matches at the Kristiansand Stadion, which accommodated a record 16,516 spectators in a game against Fredrikstad F.K. in 2005. I.K. Start is currently building a new stadium, within walking distance from their current stadium with the capacity of the new stadium being around 14,000 spectators, while it will also include VIP-boxes and other features of a modern stadium. It is set to be ready by the 1st of March 2007. Their style of playing is often described as 'makrellfotball' (mackerel football), meaning the whole team is in constant, coordinated motion. Another feature of their playing style is the so-called 'Start-vippen' (Start-tip), where the ball at a free-kick is tipped up by one player before hit by another.

Start were Norwegian champions in 1978 and 1980. They participated in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978, and in the European Cup in 1979 and 1981, as well as qualifying for the UEFA Cup this season. The years since 1995 have been turbulent, but recent investments have given greater expectations for the future. In 2004 they won the Norwegian First Division and were promoted to the Norwegian Premier League. In 2005 they finished runners-up behind Vålerenga, after a strong comeback season in the Premier League. This campaign hasn't been as successful however, as the club now find themselves eighth in a table of fourteen, just four points off the relegation zone, so Drogheda could be forgiven for thinking they've got a kind draw here. They have been in good form lately though, with five straight wins, including two wins over league leaders Brann and a win over Rosenborg. In the last round of this competition, Start overcame Skala Itrottarfelag of the Faroe Islands, winning both legs to come out on top 4-0 (1-0 away and 3-0 at home).

DROGHEDA UNITED

Drogheda United is an Irish football club playing in the Eircom League. The club hails from Drogheda in the smallest county in Ireland, Louth and play their home matches at United Park, but because their ground is unsuitable for European matches, they have been forced to play their home European ties just up the road in Dublin at Dalymount Park. Like Start, Drogheda are also building a new modern stadium which will be based on the outskirts of the town. Their current manager is Paul Doolin, who has won everything in the domestic game as a player and who now bids to mastermind the clubs passage to the next stage, having already knocked out Scandanavian opposition in the last round. The current club is amalgamation of two former Drogheda area clubs, Drogheda United FC founded in 1919 and Drogheda FC founded in 1962. The clubs merged their operations to form the current club in 1975. Drogheda United are the current holders of both the FAI Cup and Setanta Cup.

The turnaround of the club is shown by the fact that that was their very first FAI Cup while it was also their very first major trophy in their 42 year history. Currently in the league, Drogheda sit third behind leaders Shelbourne and second-placed Derry City, who are also in UEFA Cup action. The Drogs have built their success on a rock solid defence and have only conceded seven times in fifteen matches (five of those came against Shels) so Start will not have it easy here. Drogheda's latest domestic result came against Shels last Friday, where they lost 3-1 at home, a flattering scoreline from the Dubliners point of view as United maybe deserved a point. In the last round of this competition, Drogheda were drawn against HJK Helsinki, with many people feeling it would be a tie the Louth club just wouldn't be able to get past. But get past it they did, as a Shane Robinson rocket in the Finnish capital handed the Drogs a priceless away goal in a 1-1 draw while two Damian Lynch penalties in the 'home' leg helped them to a 4-2 aggregate win. Considering there shouldn't be too big of a difference between Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian sides, Drogheda will be confident of getting a positive result in Kristiansand.

Starting Line-Up: (4-5-1) Connor, Shelley, Gavin, Gartland, Webb, Robinson, Barrett, Keegan, Lynch, Bradley, Fitzpatrick.

RECENT FORM

Start's Last Five Matches:
(A) 1-0 Brann
(A) 2-1 Lyn
(H) 3-0 Scala (UEFA)
(H) 2-1 Rosenborg
(H) 3-1 Brann (NM Cupen)

Drogheda United's Last Five Matches:
(H) 1-3 Shelbourne
(A) 0-0 Longford Town
(N) 3-1 HJK Helsinki AET (UEFA)
(A) 0-0 UCD
(A) 1-1 HJK Helsinki (UEFA)

VERDICT

Start are as low as 1/4 to get a win here and that price is simply ridiculous. In the last round, Derry City (Ireland) beat Swedish giants IFK Goteborg in both legs (1-0 at home and 1-0 away) while Drogheda beat Helsinki 4-2 over 210 minutes. With little between all the leagues, and Start struggling badly in the Norwegian standings, its hard to see where the value is in this match. Drogheda never have too much in attack and it took a wonderful Shane Robinson strike to get them an away goal in the last round, so with the Drogs unlikely to score and Start likely to find the away defence hard to crack, the best bet would seem to be the Under 2.5 Goals.

(Source for IK Start facts: www.wikipedia.org)

The Pick :

Start 0-0 (or 1-0) Drogheda Utd

PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :

50% Start - 35% Draw - 15% Drogheda

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.9 (Interwetten)