Crawley relishing opportunity to impress

An opportunity to traverse the continent in search of European glory is reward enough for most players but as Shelbourne face into their Intertoto Cup return leg against FK Vetra this weekend it also casts light on the more fundamental, and at times difficult, aspects of mixing it as a professional for one player in particular.

David Crawley, the tough tackling, no-nonsense full back, has found games hard to come by this season.  A one time regular in the Drumcondra side, the Dundalk man has seen his involvement curtailed since Dave Rogers's switch to left back following the arrivals of centre-halves Colin Hawkins and Sean Dillon.

That said, he has an appetite and fondness for European games and has played in all 16 of the club's continental sojourns since signing four seasons ago.  With Rogers suspended on Saturday, Crawley is eager to utilise the opportunity - as he did in the 1-0 first leg win last weekend - to remind manager Pat Fenlon what he's all about.

"It's been tough," he admits of his time out of the side. "It's a big club here and even if you win one week, you could be out the next and that's the way it fell for me. I just have to get my head down. Dave Rogers is playing well so I cant complain but hopefully I can do enough to stay in now."

Captain of Dundalk's FAI Cup winning team in 2002, Crawley was a regular in that side for seven seasons.  A big fish in a smaller pond back then, but the waters have turned against him somewhat.  Still, though, he declares himself happy with life in the capital.

While Saturday's game carries added significance for him personally, the 29-year-old is adamant the team's fortunes and well-being comes before his own.

"It will be a tough game," he warns.  "I'd say Vetra will be up for it. It was a good win for us last week in Lithuania considering the pitch was ropey so we musn't do anything silly here at home.

"There's a lot of the team that played against Hibernians of Malta still here. We done the hard work out there and when we took them home, everybody said we just had to turn up and we'd beat them.  We were 30 seconds away from playing Boavista in the second round and then we conceded and were out."

Crawley admits he's not the most naturally gifted player but what he may lack in skill he makes up for with heart and endeavour. His set pieces, too, have proved invaluable down the years and, indeed, could go some way to helping his employers progress to a second round meeting with Odense.

"It's a great opportunity to play against the Danish team in the next round.  Therefore we'll be going for the win as that's the way we play.  We know we'll create chances because we always do and hopefully at the back, we can keep a clean sheet and if we get the second goal, it will kill them off."