UCD AFC -v- Limerick FC

• Bar OSullivan
• Thu, Mar 05 2009


A new-look UCD will start life in the First Division on Friday night when they host Limerick FC at the Belfield Bowl (kick-off 7.45pm). Indeed, Limerick will have a somewhat different look about them also.

Changing roles
Following Following their decision not to keep Pete Mahon at the club, the UCD Board decided that an in-house promotion of Mahon's assistant was the way forward. Martin Russell had been at the club for four years and, prior to being Mahon's right-hand man, had held the post of first-team coach.

Winless streak
Although five pre-season friendlies failed to see Russell's young side earn a win, there were a number of encouraging displays. The Students registered score draws against Bray Wanderers and Shamrock Rovers, and only lost 1-0 to Derry City at the Brandywell thanks to a late goal as recently as last Saturday. Their other two warm-up outings resulted in defeats to Galway United and Saint Patrick's Athletic.

Ready for action
With kick-off quickly approaching, Russell is keen for the action to get started and to see how his team fare. “We're looking forward to the game," he said. "We'll give it our best shot. It's a great chance for some of the younger lads to play in the league. We know of a few [Limerick] players as they were with them last season. With the manager changing, though, there might be a few things that are unfamiliar.”

Manager mystery
Pre-season was all quiet in the south-west, with little news coming from the club that finished fifth last season. Then, all of a sudden, manager Mike Kerley resigned with just two weeks to go before the season opener. Kerley has never had much time for the media so it's not surprising that the exact reasons for his departure are still unknown. Having said that, financial constraints and the lack of adequate training facilities surely featured fairly high up on his list of complaints.

Limerick 'ready'
A replacement for Kerley has yet to be found so, for Friday's trip to Belfield, Dave Mahedy, Paul O'Donnell, and Mick Sheils will be in charge of first-team affairs. However, despite all the upheaval, Limerick CEO Andrew Mawhinney was confident last week that they won't be found wanting. "There is no need for supporters of the club to be concerned," he said. "We have signed the players we wanted to sign and the bottom line is that we will be ready to face UCD."

Sheehan loss
While Mawhinney implies they are happy with the current squad, it's no secret that the club is somewhat sore as a result of losing both Peter White and Gary Sheehan to Mick Wallace's Wexford Youths. The talented pair waited patiently for a concrete offer or indication from the club, and when it wasn't forthcoming were left with little option but to investigate alternatives. Wexford's coach Noel O'Connor wasted no time in ensuring they became part of the Wallace project at Ferrycarrig Park.

Student story
UCD go into the game with doubts over Brian Shortall, Evan McMillan, James Timmons, and Gareth Matthews, but will have a handful of players available for selection that missed the pre-season games due to Collingwood Cup commitments. Andrew Boyle and Sean Harding may feature in defence, with Ronan Finn and Greg Bolger expected to occupy the central midfield positions. John Reilly is a likely starter on the left-hand side of midfield, with Keith Ward an option on the other wing. Ciaran Kilduff and Luke Hardy are expected to be involved also. In transfer news, former Drogheda United 'keeper Cian Byrne has signed.

Blues brothers
No team news is currently available for Limerick, but their squad looks something like this at the moment: Davy Ryan, Brian Collopy, Pat Purcell, Brian O'Callaghan, Brendan Daly, Paul Danaher, Conor Molan, Tommy Barrett, Ian Storan, Jamie Wunsch, Paul Walsh, Eoin O'Brien, Thomas Lyons, Jason Hughes, Wayne Colbert, Bobby Tier, Martin Deady, Colm Carroll, John Tierney, Chimka Manjor, Colin Scanlon, Paul Cummins & James Hayes.