SOCCER: AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREVIEW:PAUL COOK reacted with bemusement yesterday to the suggestion yesterday that defeat by league leaders Shamrock Rovers tonight would deal a major blow to his side's title ambitions. "Would it help us?" he asked with feigned exasperation. "No. But the league is played over 36 games and regardless of what happens in this game, what matters is where we all are at the end of the campaign."
He went on to suggest that his opposite number, Michael O’Neill didn’t seem to have quite grasped that fact to judge by comments he had seen attributed to the northerner in a couple of yesterday’s newspapers.
“Shamrock Rovers always seem to come to us to try to stop us playing and it seems to work because they keep beating us,” he said.
“But I’m still surprised to read today Michael talking about who Shamrock Rovers have beaten and how none of the other top teams have beaten them. He seems to know how to beat us all but they’re only top by a point and if they don’t win tomorrow and St Pat’s do then they won’t be top at all anymore.
“Anyway, when they come to hand out the league winners’ medals at the end of the season it’s irrelevant who you’ve beaten,” he continued. “They’re first and we’re fourth and we both deserve to be where we are, but Shamrock Rovers have the best squad in the country without a shadow of a doubt, they have numbers in every position, he should be beating all of us all of the time.”
Cook insisted that despite losing out in two league and two Setanta Cup meetings this season, he would again send his players out with a positive game plan tonight.
The team have been firing in both defence and attack of late with six clean sheets out of seven and 15 goals scored in their last five league outings.
They’ll be without Iarfhlaith Davoren again but otherwise Cook has a full squad to choose from while O’Neill has doubts about Karl Sheppard and Ken Oman.
Bohemians could have Anto Flood back for the visit of Drogheda United despite a groin injury. United, who have hit some form, winning three games to climb off the foot of the table, are at full strength and Mick Cooke believes a point is attainable at Dalymount given the transformed levels of confidence.
Seán Connor must pick his injury ravaged and, one presumes, badly-demoralised players up for Galway’s trip to Oriel Park where Jason Byrne could return from injury for the hosts and Stephen Maher, having made the bench for the game at Tallaght this week, might just make it back into the starting line up after a long lay off.
St Patrick’s Athletic have Ian Bermingham and, more than likely, Derek Pender back for the visit of Bray who won at Richmond Park in dramatic fashion early in the season.
In the night’s other top flight game, UCD will again be without Robbie Creevy while Derry City travel to Belfield without Barry Molloy (ankle ligaments) and possibly James McClean who is suffering from a bout of tonsillitis.
