St. Patrick's Athletic -v- Bohemians

• Eoin Manning
• Thu, Jun 04 2009


St.Patrick’s Athletic welcome champions Bohemians to their Stadium of Light, Richmond Park on Friday night (kick off 7:45 PM) in the League of Ireland Premier Division in a game which is likely to be of far more concern to Boh’s manager Pat Fenlon’s than it would have been just a few weeks ago thanks to Pat’s mini-revival.

In a Dublin derby which is always keenly contested between two of the capital’s giants it has come as a surprise to many that Pat’s have not been pushing Boh’s closer in the battle for supremacy in the Ireland’s domestic elite league.

Fenlon’s side sit predictably top of the pile by three points while last season’s runners-up St.Pat’s languish in the lowly position of 7th place, though manager Jeff Kenna has been struck by chronic misfortune in the injury department and suspensions to key players not to mention the unavoidable terrace pressure in his first season at the club.

Bohs have been something of colossus in the League of Ireland and were expected by most to steamroller their way through the division again this year but thanks to spirited efforts from Cork City and Derry City they have not had it all their own way and will be under pressure to take three points from the game. Pat’s for their part will be more than eager to dent their rival’s title hopes.

And Fenlon is only too aware of the threat posed by their hosts: “It’s going to be a tough game, going to Inchicore is never easy. Jeff [Kenna] has had a horrible time with injuries but they have got some very decent players.”

A task made ever more difficult by the fact that the Dalymount club will be without a number of key players in the shape of the exciting, attacking talents of Joseph Ndo (hamstring), Mark Rossiter (groin) and Jason McGuinness, who is suspended. Fenlon hopes to have both Glen Crowe and Owen Heary available for selection.

Saint’s boss Kenna recognises the enormous difficulty of the task at hand but is excited by the clash nonetheless: “Bohs’ victory in Cork last Friday and again this week against Galway silenced the doubters who thought they were beginning to show a few weaknesses and my players have their work cut out. But football people relish these matches and we’re no different - we’re looking forward to it and we intend to meet the challenge head on”

Kenna’s optimism is all the more admirable when you realise that he is likely to be without the injured trio of Darragh Ryan (hamstring), Gareth O’Connor (thigh), Alan Cawley (ankle) as well as long-term absentees Gints Freimanis, Gary Dempsey and Mark Leech.

John Lester is suspended following his red card against Bray Wanderers though Stuart Byrne and perhaps most significantly former Boh’s hero Bobby Ryan are available for selection. Ryan, for the first time since last September:

“I hope to make the bench on Friday and I would love to be involved in the game at some stage”

Football has a funny habit of ex-players returning to haunt their former club, particularly in the League Of Ireland and Ryan will be hoping he can be the headline maker this Friday night in Inchicore.

Anything less than three points will come as a disappointment to Boh’s who have a great recent record at Pat’s and anything will other than defeat will make do as scant consolation for Pat’s in a season where absolutely nothing has gone right.

The outcome here is far from being a formality.