Byrne gets full backing from Mahon
Credit:
Pete Mahon thinks striker Paul Byrne can be a big hit at St. Patrick's Athletic if he can avoid the type of injuries that have hampered his progress at previous clubs.
The 23-year-old was one of many new faces to arrive in Inchicore this season and he was a player that Mahon knew all about having brought him through the ranks at UCD.
Byrne went on to play for Sporting Fingal and Bray Wanderers after that, but he has not scored as many goals as he is capable of and injuries have played a part in that.
Now that he has got off the mark with St. Pat's following his opener in the 4-1 Setanta Sports Cup semi-final first leg win over Sligo Rovers, Byrne has been backed by his manager to kick on and show just what he is capable of.
"Paul's biggest problem has been his injuries, and he’s after picking up an injury here tonight [against Sligo Rovers]. He hasn’t really got a sustained run, whether it be at UCD, [Sporting] Fingal or Bray [Wanderers]," said Mahon.
"He had a major injury last season so I'm hoping he's going to be okay because I reckon that Paul will score goals if he gets up and running.
"That's his third game now and Paul has done very well. He’s a player I have a lot of faith in. I know Paul back a long time, if he stays injury free [it will] give him a chance to realise his potential."
Regarding their first leg victory, Mahon declared himself pleased that his team bounced back from the league defeat to Drogheda United, but warned that Sligo should not be underestimated in the return leg.
"I said I was very disappointed after Friday’s game, I was looking for a good response from the players because I reckoned that a decent team would come back from the defeat and I was very, very pleased," he said.
"To get to the final of this cup would be fantastic. We won’t underestimate Sligo in any shape or form."
The 23-year-old was one of many new faces to arrive in Inchicore this season and he was a player that Mahon knew all about having brought him through the ranks at UCD.
Byrne went on to play for Sporting Fingal and Bray Wanderers after that, but he has not scored as many goals as he is capable of and injuries have played a part in that.
Now that he has got off the mark with St. Pat's following his opener in the 4-1 Setanta Sports Cup semi-final first leg win over Sligo Rovers, Byrne has been backed by his manager to kick on and show just what he is capable of.
"Paul's biggest problem has been his injuries, and he’s after picking up an injury here tonight [against Sligo Rovers]. He hasn’t really got a sustained run, whether it be at UCD, [Sporting] Fingal or Bray [Wanderers]," said Mahon.
"He had a major injury last season so I'm hoping he's going to be okay because I reckon that Paul will score goals if he gets up and running.
"That's his third game now and Paul has done very well. He’s a player I have a lot of faith in. I know Paul back a long time, if he stays injury free [it will] give him a chance to realise his potential."
Regarding their first leg victory, Mahon declared himself pleased that his team bounced back from the league defeat to Drogheda United, but warned that Sligo should not be underestimated in the return leg.
"I said I was very disappointed after Friday’s game, I was looking for a good response from the players because I reckoned that a decent team would come back from the defeat and I was very, very pleased," he said.
"To get to the final of this cup would be fantastic. We won’t underestimate Sligo in any shape or form."
About Brendan White
Brendan White is Extratime News Editor and is responsible for the news section of Extratime.ie. Brendan also covers matches in Dublin and Waterford. You can contact Brendan on twitter @whitebrendan. View Full Profile