Drogheda put faith in Mathews

Alan Mathews has been confirmed as the new manager of Drogheda United.

The former Longford Town and Cork City boss is faced with the unenviable task of leading the Boynesiders into the second leg of their own version of ‘The Great Escape’ in the coming months, after they safely emerged from examinership last week.

With no players currently contracted at United Park, Mathews is in a race against the clock to prepare a squad for what is thought will be a Premier Division relegation battle. It is believed that his total playing budget per week will only be around €5,000, though that figure should leave the club competitive with other expected candidates for the drop, Galway United and Bray Wanderers.

As it stands, he has only ten days to circle the wagons for his first match in charge, which will be a mouth-watering Jim Malone Cup clash with local rivals Dundalk on Saint Valentine‘s Night. That meeting could have extra spice added to it in the coming days if Mathews chooses to call on any of the eight players released by the Lilywhites after their promotion from the First Division last November that are still available and interested in top flight football.

This is Matthews’ third job in football management. He took his first steps into coaching in 1998 when he assisted Dermot Keely - whom he played under at Longford in the early nineties - at Shelbourne. He would remain there for four years, during which period he played a role in the Reds winning the League and Cup double in 2000, and another Premier Division title in March 2002.

He was appointed to the Longford hot-seat less than four months later, and led the club to unprecedented success in knockout competition. The Dubliner guided the midlanders to four domestic cup finals in just two seasons, winning three of them, including two FAI Cups in 2003 and 2004.

He finally left Flancare Park 14 months ago following Longford's relegation from the top flight. That demotion was due largely to off-the-field problems, which saw the club deducted six points early on in the campaign.

Despite a brave effort to overcome that as the midlanders went on a memorable run in the second-half of the season, Mathews very narrowly failed in his bid to save the club from the drop. They still ended the year with another FAI Cup final, however, they were unable to finish on a high as they lost out by a single goal to Cork City.

Ironically, just five weeks later, Mathews was unveiled as the new boss of Cork after Damien Richardson’s services were dispensed with despite that cup win. However, once again, Mathews’ task was made nigh on impossible by issues beyond his control, as the Leesiders were deducted ten points and lost their top scorer Dave Mooney as a result of being forced into examinership.

In the end, the 43-year-old brought home a Setanta Sports Cup to Turners Cross and only just missed out on a European qualification spot in the league. However, in a shock development in early December, Mathews was removed from his position as manager, with Cork citing financial constraints as the primary reason for his departure.

During his playing career, incidentally, Mathews spent time at Drogheda in the mid-eighties, as well as lining out for Saint Patrick’s Athletic, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, Galway, Bray, Kilkenny City and Longford.