Season Preview: St Patrick's Athletic
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Fans of St Patrick’s Athletic will feel there is a genuine cause for renewed optimism ahead of the new season given Pete Mahon’s winter of feverish transfer activity.
However, the manager himself feels that resurrecting the Inchicore club’s famed spirit is his primary objective.
Retaining the services of only five members of last year’s squad clearly reflects that Mahon felt that the club was in need of a massive overhaul although the former Bohemians manager has conceded that he has also lost certain players he would have ideally preferred to have kept.
Of the surviving quintet Damian Lynch has been made captain, while midfielder Stuart Byrne, goalkeeper Gary Rogers, defender Noel Haverty and winger Ryan Guy complete the list of those still on the payroll from last season’s relegation threatened outfit.
Mahon has confirmed his intention to add Dan Connor of the former Cork City to his squad but the majority of his rebuilding was done as quickly as he possibly could during the off-season in order to cajole his players into becoming the type of personnel he believes the club has been lacking in recent years.
The new recruits include defenders Conor Kenna from Drogheda, Derek Pender from Bray Wanderers and Shane Guthrie from Galway United. While the midfield has been enforced with Brian Cash from Sligo Rovers, Conor Sinnott from Wexford Youths, David McAllister from Shelbourne, David Mulcahy and Gareth Coughlan from Bray. And the options in attack now contain Alex Williams, who left Dundalk to the join the Dublin outfit, Vinny Faherty from Galway and Paul Byrne from Bray.
The Saints open their season against last year’s bogey team; Galway United, and will be desperate to avoid yet another defeat to The Tribesmen and should Mahon and co. get their season off to a positive start, finishing in one of European places could be a realistic expectation and Mahon himself has identified a cup win as another possibility.
The encouraging result and performance against Linfield in the Setanta Sports Cup will have done nothing to dampen expectations either and the huge level of expectation that comes from the Richmond Park faithful will be in full effect come the new season’s curtain raiser.
The winter saw a number changes at board room level as well with Richard Sadlier standing down from his position as the club’s CEO, however a recent sponsorship deal with Nissan has been greeted as particularly positive news.
Knowing what will happen throughout the course of the entire season is never an easy thing but if Mahon has his way a full-blooded approach from his players will be the one thing supporters can definitely look forward to to seeing.
Team: St.Patrick’s Athletic
Manager: Pete Mahon
Players In: Conor Kenna (Drogheda), Derek Pender, Dave Mulcahy, Gareth Coughlan, Paul Byrne (all Bray Wanderers), Shane Guthrie (Galway United), Ian Bermingham (Shamrock Rovers), Brian Cash (Sligo Rovers), Conor Sinnott (Wexford Youths), David McAllister, Derek Doyle (both Shelbourne), Alex Williams (Dundalk), Vinny Faherty (Galway United)
Players Out: Brendan Clarke (Sporting Fingal), Stephen Maher (Dundalk), Enda Stevens (Shamrock Rovers), Darragh Ryan (Stevenage Borough), David Partridge (Cambridge United), Jamie Harris, Garreth O’Connor, Glen Fitzpatrick (all Drogheda United), Gints Friemanis (FK Jelgava), Alan Cawley (Dundalk), Bobby Ryan (Galway United), Gary Dempsey (Darlington), Mark Quigley (Bohemians), Jason Gavin, Mark Leech, Kyle Moran (all released)
One to Watch: Brian Cash
Prediction: 6th
However, the manager himself feels that resurrecting the Inchicore club’s famed spirit is his primary objective.
Retaining the services of only five members of last year’s squad clearly reflects that Mahon felt that the club was in need of a massive overhaul although the former Bohemians manager has conceded that he has also lost certain players he would have ideally preferred to have kept.
Of the surviving quintet Damian Lynch has been made captain, while midfielder Stuart Byrne, goalkeeper Gary Rogers, defender Noel Haverty and winger Ryan Guy complete the list of those still on the payroll from last season’s relegation threatened outfit.
Mahon has confirmed his intention to add Dan Connor of the former Cork City to his squad but the majority of his rebuilding was done as quickly as he possibly could during the off-season in order to cajole his players into becoming the type of personnel he believes the club has been lacking in recent years.
The new recruits include defenders Conor Kenna from Drogheda, Derek Pender from Bray Wanderers and Shane Guthrie from Galway United. While the midfield has been enforced with Brian Cash from Sligo Rovers, Conor Sinnott from Wexford Youths, David McAllister from Shelbourne, David Mulcahy and Gareth Coughlan from Bray. And the options in attack now contain Alex Williams, who left Dundalk to the join the Dublin outfit, Vinny Faherty from Galway and Paul Byrne from Bray.
The Saints open their season against last year’s bogey team; Galway United, and will be desperate to avoid yet another defeat to The Tribesmen and should Mahon and co. get their season off to a positive start, finishing in one of European places could be a realistic expectation and Mahon himself has identified a cup win as another possibility.
The encouraging result and performance against Linfield in the Setanta Sports Cup will have done nothing to dampen expectations either and the huge level of expectation that comes from the Richmond Park faithful will be in full effect come the new season’s curtain raiser.
The winter saw a number changes at board room level as well with Richard Sadlier standing down from his position as the club’s CEO, however a recent sponsorship deal with Nissan has been greeted as particularly positive news.
Knowing what will happen throughout the course of the entire season is never an easy thing but if Mahon has his way a full-blooded approach from his players will be the one thing supporters can definitely look forward to to seeing.
Team: St.Patrick’s Athletic
Manager: Pete Mahon
Players In: Conor Kenna (Drogheda), Derek Pender, Dave Mulcahy, Gareth Coughlan, Paul Byrne (all Bray Wanderers), Shane Guthrie (Galway United), Ian Bermingham (Shamrock Rovers), Brian Cash (Sligo Rovers), Conor Sinnott (Wexford Youths), David McAllister, Derek Doyle (both Shelbourne), Alex Williams (Dundalk), Vinny Faherty (Galway United)
Players Out: Brendan Clarke (Sporting Fingal), Stephen Maher (Dundalk), Enda Stevens (Shamrock Rovers), Darragh Ryan (Stevenage Borough), David Partridge (Cambridge United), Jamie Harris, Garreth O’Connor, Glen Fitzpatrick (all Drogheda United), Gints Friemanis (FK Jelgava), Alan Cawley (Dundalk), Bobby Ryan (Galway United), Gary Dempsey (Darlington), Mark Quigley (Bohemians), Jason Gavin, Mark Leech, Kyle Moran (all released)
One to Watch: Brian Cash
Prediction: 6th
About Eoin Manning
Eoin Manning has been a part of the extratime.ie reporting team since 2009 and covers the Dublin clubs. Eoin also writes for many of the countries national newspapers and can be contacted at eoinpmanning@gmail.com View Full Profile