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Matthew Clarke ready for ‘huge honour’ of moving third in Linfield’s all-time European appearance list

Euro vision: Matthew Clarke is hoping for more Linfield delight on the continent

Jamie Mulgrew and David Healy after the first-leg victory at Windsor Park last week. Credit: David Maginnis

Euro vision: Matthew Clarke is hoping for more Linfield delight on the continent

Jamie Mulgrew and David Healy after the first-leg victory at Windsor Park last week. Credit: David Maginnis

PMAKER

Euro vision: Matthew Clarke is hoping for more Linfield delight on the continent

Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland - 2nd November 2009.
Belfast Telegraph staff Images Graham Luney

Graham Luney Twitter Email

July 29 2021 06:11 AM

Linfield’s motto is ‘Fortune Favours the Brave’ and the club’s famous fighting spirit will be required to resist an FK Borac Banja Luka backlash tonight (7pm).

David Healy’s side may have a commanding 4-0 lead in their Europa Conference League second qualifying round tie but their resilience and character will be tested in humid conditions and a hostile atmosphere in the Banja Luka City Stadium.

It’s very much a case of beware the wounded tiger for the Premiership champions and it’s difficult to predict how the hosts will respond to the news that their manager Marko Maksimović has resigned in an attempt to ‘shock’ the side into a dramatic comeback.

That’s a soap opera Healy will have no interest in. Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer knows this tie is far from over.

The clothing may be fresh — Linfield will wear a specially commissioned all-white away kit for this game only — but the club’s trademark mental toughness on the continent will need to go with it.

First-leg goals from Michael Newberry, Christy Manzinga, Jamie Mulgrew and Jimmy Callacher leaves the Belfast side firm favourites to take on either Fola Esch of Luxembourg or Shakhtyor from Belarus in the next round.

But while Borac possibly underestimated the Blues in the opener, they will throw everything at them this evening.

There’s a quiet confidence, however, in the visitors’ camp, underlined by Matthew Clarke, who could make his 30th appearance in Europe, moving him into third in the club’s all-time list behind Jamie Mulgrew and Noel Bailie.

“It’s a huge honour for me to have that record, a Tyrone lad playing for the biggest club in the country, and as I’ve just turned 27 this year hopefully I can make many more European appearances,” said the former Rangers youngster.

“You want to play every game and as long as the team is winning that’s the most important thing.

“This club is a winning machine and that has to keep going.

“The first-leg performance was unbelievable, a dream performance. A 4-0 win in Europe was incredible and fully deserved. It will be a different game here with the heat but if we can produce the same level of performance we can go through.”

The Castlederg man, who signed a contract extension in April, has made more than 260 appearances for the Blues and that wealth of experience should help the club keep their European dreams alive.

“It’s a new experience for some of the lads but the older heads are used to it from Celtic to Rosenborg and it will serve the lads well going into the new season.

“It’s a good bonding experience for the boys,” Clarke told the club’s website.

“We put in the hard graft to leave us in a great position and we must face this test head on. We have confidence in our own ability and there’s no reason why we can’t get to the next round.

“They are a quality side, they took Cluj to extra-time and nearly dumped them out which shows their pedigree.

“Defensively we were solid and that was important after the first European games where we gave away soft goals.

“Our success has been built on a drive to keep clean sheets.

“We aren’t used to giving away soft goals but we scored four quality goals last week and we can nick a few goals out here.”

Healy is confident his players won’t fall into the trap of being complacent.

“The players were exceptional in the first leg and we didn’t let them dominate the game,” he said.

“Even in the European game we lost I could see positive signs.

“We will need to be brave in a hostile environment.

“It will be a very challenging test and we can’t have a ‘job done’ mentality. Hopefully the players can perform like they did in the first leg and it will give us a great chance of progressing.”

Matthew Clarke ready for ‘huge honour’ of moving third in Linfield’s all-time European appearance list

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