Reading duo look to stay grounded

Mary Hannigantalks to Kevin Doyle and club-mate Shane Long ahead of tomorrow's match

Kevin Doyle is part giggling, part shifting uncomfortably in his seat when he's asked if he heard the tribute his club-mate John Oster paid to the Welsh squad John Toshack is bringing to Dublin: "There are players there who wouldn't get into our reserves at Reading."

There is, need it be said, history between Oster and Toshack, the manager overlooking the Reading midfielder since he took over in November 2004 from Mark Hughes. "Unless he phones me up and explains why he has left me out and picked players from Yeovil and Shrewsbury, etc, then I personally don't want to play," Oster added, the olive branch remaining firmly tucked in his back pocket.

"It's probably just a case of miscommunication," says Doyle, shaking his head with bemusement as he tries to dig Oster out of the increasingly cavernous hole he's been digging for himself. But, giggling again, even Doyle doesn't seem too convinced by his defence of his team-mate. "I'm sure he said it a bit tongue-in-cheek, John is a bit like that," he laughs. "He's done well for us this season when he's played, I'm sure he's capable of being in their squad, it's just a case of the two of them sitting down and talking to each other."

The Wexford man is, as you might expect, appreciably more respectful towards tomorrow's opponents, although he admits nothing less than victory over the Welsh will keep Ireland's already slender qualification hopes alive.

"Yeah, we know we have to win these two games, to be honest," he says. "If we don't it will make it extremely difficult - and it's extremely difficult as it is. Thankfully with the games being in Croke Park there's a freshness about the place, there's a buzz, everybody's excited about it and it could give us that boost we need to go and do it."

He's hopeful, too, that the Croke Park "experience" will prove to be a help rather than a hindrance to the players, that they won't freeze on their debut at the stadium, much as the rugby team did in the early stages against France.

"Well, I hope not, I hope that won't happen us. The build-up to it has probably been going on for two years, that maybe plays on people's minds, but a lot of the lads have played in World Cups, in big games, so they should be fine. It's up to the younger lads, including myself, just to take it in beforehand, see it all in the warm-up, and then just be able to go out then and forget about it like we do every week.

"I have been to the ground loads of times to see hurling and Gaelic football, but to play there would be an amazing experience. Croke Park will be buzzing and the players will feed off that."

Doyle's Reading team-mate Shane Long, who made his senior debut away to San Marino, has also been to Croke Park before, but in a playing capacity for Tipperary. "I've played there twice before in hurling when I was 16 and 17, I played in two All-Ireland minor semi-finals and we lost both, so hopefully it will be third time lucky for me.

"When I played there it was full so I know what an amazing stadium it is and what the atmosphere is like. I'm just looking forward to getting back there. Hopefully I will get the chance to be the first person to play both hurling and football there. I have to get on the pitch first before that happens, but it would be a cool record to have."

Doyle's return to the squad, after a torn hamstring in January kept him out of football for two months, will probably lessen Long's chances of capturing that "cool" record.

"Maybe match-sharpness wise I might be lacking a bit, it's been eight weeks since I started a game . . . but with the adrenaline that will be pumping on Saturday, if selected, I think I'll be able to get through the 90 minutes. I'm a fit lad."