European Qualifier
04.09.1998 at 19:00 - Buckley Park, Kilkenny
Derek Cioughlan's roller-coaster football ride continues at Buckley Park, Kilkenny, tonight, when he comes in to win his first U-21 cap for the Republic of Ireland in their European Championship qualifier against Croatia (ko 17.30)
The towering Cork City centre-half, whose goal in the FAI Cup final ended a 25-year drought on Leeside, has been hitting the career highs ever since that Cup final replay win over Shelbourne. He went on to score one of the goals in Cork's 2-1 home leg win over CSKA Kiev at Turners Cross and he is currently the club's joint top scorer with Kelvin Flanagan with three goals apiece.
Now the 21-year-old caps it all and runs out in the green shirt of Ireland after team manager Ian Evans picked him to play tonight in the middle of the back three in a 3-5-2 formation against Croatia.
"I kind of knew that I might be in the side when we started to do some of the set piece work at training, yesterday. I had a fair idea of what shape it might take but it's brilliant for me to get the nod and to be in the side," said Coughlan, who is the only new cap in the team.
"Ian just called up to my bedroom when we got back from training and he told me that I would be wearing the No 5 shirt and that was it. I am making my debut at U-21 level and I am very happy with that," added the City star, who played for Brian Kerr's Irish U-20 team at a tournament in Belgium last year before they departed for Malaysia and the World U-20 Cup finals.
"This is the real thing though and a competitive European Championship qualifier. I came on as a sub in Belgium but this will be my first start and I can't wait for it.
"It's been a great start to the new season for me but I think that's the way football goes. You have the highs and then you have the lows and things tend to come in bouts like that. It's been on the up for me since I scored the match-winning goal for Cork in the Cup final," added Coughlan, who was quick to stress the contribution of his own club manager, Dave Barry as well.
"Dave has been brilliant with me because it took me a long while to get back into League of Ireland football and I had a lot of sickness, too, when I first came back home from Brighton. It took me a while to get fit, but I am getting there now and I am not finished yet. I am getting to the point where I am a bit happier with myself so I think this call-up is reward for it.
"Dave has been great with all the young lads at Cork and he's given us all the chance to make it. He could have taken the easy option and brought in guys straight away but I think Dave was looking to the long run and I think it's paid off."
The Irish team is:
Alex O'Reilly (West Ham United); Robbie Ryan (Millwall), Derek Coughlan (Cork City), Dave Worrell (Blackburn Rovers) capt; Alan Mahon (Tranmere Rovers), Danny Boxall (Brentford), Thomas Morgan (St. Patrick's Athletic), Neil Inman (Peterbrough United), Kevin Kilbane (West Bromwich Albion); Darryl Clare (Grimsby Town) and Barry Conlon (Manchester City).
• The match referee tonight is Pascal Garibian of France.
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