Mahon confident of players commitment

St. Pats manager Pete Mahon says that he’s not sure if his players will play Sunday’s Premier Division match against UCD but believes that the Saints players will take to the pitch against Karpaty Lviv tomorrow night, amid a dispute over bonuses.

The players yesterday released a statement voicing their concern over the delay in the payment of bonuses and compensation for loss of earnings.

All Pats players agreed to boycott the media until the issue was resolved and solicitor to the PFAI Stuart Gilhooly tweeted that the “players [are] determined [that] if [there is] no agreement re: lost earnings & miniscule bonuses then match WILL NOT go ahead.”

But Pete Mahon, speaking at a press conference in Richmond Park this afternoon, said that he is confident that the Saints players will play against Karpaty. “I’m very confident there will be a match” he said.

“I think I know the players better than anybody,” Mahon continued, “and they’ve been professional all along so I don’t see any reason why they would change now.”

As confident as the is about their participation, Mahon is less certain about Sunday’s match. “That’s a different kettle of fish altogether” he admits. “I couldn’t give any guarantees one way or the other, I don’t know.”

Asked whether the ongoing controversy will affect his players’ concentration in the run-up to the Karpaty match, Mahon said that “any distraction is never helpful, we have an important game here that there’s a lot riding on.”

“We’ve had a lot of problems on the road to where we are, this is just one more that we could all do without.” Mahon went on to state his dismay at the current situation: “I’m just disappointed that it’s got to this stage. It should have been resolved by now.”

Mahon says that he informed the club about the bonuses over a month ago. “What basically happened was,” Mahon stated, “myself and John [Gill] were at a meeting and I did mention to the person in charge here that there would be a request from the players from bonuses.”

The Pats manager said that after the meeting he “left it at that” and “told the players that I had spoken here about it and that they were to work away themselves.”

Despite the questions which remain over the players’ participation- another meeting with the PFAI is scheduled for this evening- Mahon assured the fans that his players would be committed. “I would ask the fans to turn up like they did against Karagandy here and get behind the team” he said. “The players will give it 100% - I’ve no doubt in my mind that that’s what will happen.”

He moved to dissuade the fears of fans about the situation at the club and urged them to get behind the Saints. “I’m sure there are fans out there that are worried- I’d say to them to park their worries until Friday, get behind the team and we’ll try to win the match.”