Preview:While Stephen Kenny returned from duties in Scotland to resume work on Derry City's preparations for tomorrow's Carlsberg-sponsored FAI Cup final, John McDonnell has been happily immersed in his side's build-up these past few days.
The St Patrick's Athletic boss spent a good deal of the season just ended fending off rumours that he was about to be sacked by the club. His team eventually did well enough in the league for the board to hand him a new contract but McDonnell knows his hopes of fulfilling his own managerial ambitions would be seriously boosted by victory in tomorrow's big one at Lansdowne Road.
A cup success and the resulting opportunities to play in the Uefa and Setanta Cups could have a huge impact on the club. Most immediately, McDonnell hopes, it would strengthen his hand when he and his employers sit down soon to sort out next season's budget. Ironically, the extra money could mean an exit from Emmet Road for some of the half a dozen or so out of contract players in contention to face Derry City tomorrow.
"The money and the players' contracts are things to be sorted out after the game," says McDonnell. "The most important thing now is to go out there on Sunday, to win and to turn in a performance that will persuade our supporters to come back here in bigger numbers to Richmond Park each Friday night next season . . . that's the real target going into this cup final."
His side are, he accepts, the underdogs with Derry's league form, League Cup success and European run comfortably outshining the Dubliners' lower mid-table showing in the Premier Division.
"They're rated above us by most people on merit but we've had a very good week and the mood is confident - not cocky but confident."
Having trained and watched DVDs of Derry in action yesterday, the St Patrick's players will have a final run out this afternoon after which McDonnell will have to make final selection decisions with a couple of midfielders set to be disappointed.
With Darragh Maguire suspended and both Keith Fahey and Mark Rooney ineligible, St Pat's have a squad of 18 as they attempt to end a run of five final defeats since they last lifted this trophy some 45 years ago.
"I'd say we have eight outfield positions accounted for," he says. "Barry Ryan will definitely start in goal and there's another eight places gone but there's two still to be sorted in midfield where we have a few lads who can play different positions and we'll weigh them up once the last session is out of the way."
Mark Rutherford and Mark Quigley look fractionally the more likely to miss out, although the former, with seven cup finals under his belt already, this week pointed to the fact he has played when fit this season when asked to consider his prospects of starting tomorrow afternoon.
The shape of the St Patrick's team is unlikely to be changed much from the three league meetings with City which netted the Dublin club just one point. Like their opponents, the Inchicore side like to get the ball out wide where the likes of Rutherford, Seán O'Connor and Anto Murphy can run at and beat the opposition full-backs.
The front men's performances will also be crucial and McDonnell will be hoping Trevor Molloy, in particular, can raise his game as he did when he inspired his side to victory in the quarter-final victory over Longford.
Derry's Stephen O'Flynn is injured while Ciarán Martyn misses out due to suspension. City boss Kenny has Darren Kelly and Seán Hargan available again but neither is assured of returning after the team finished the league campaign strongly in their absence. Clive Delaney looks to have a strong chance of starting in central defence.
But, after a year that finished with the double disappointment of being pipped to the league title by Shelbourne and his own departure, Kenny is determined to leave players who have given a great deal for him with cause for celebration.
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