All's fair as title race comes down to a battle of nerves

IT'S ALL about nerve now. Dundalk held theirs last season and won the league. Though St Patrick's Athletic have pulled three points clear again, it only requires a couple of results to ensure a tautly strung, three way tussle for the title up to the final day. "It was nerve which Damien Richardson questioned after his team's first defeat in 14 games at UCD three Sundays ago. After the loss to Dundalk, he just stopped short of questioning their birthright.

Richardson's response was to tell any journalist who cared to listen that changes would be made. The five man midfield would probably have to be abandoned, tactics would have to be refined, and a couple of changes in personnel were required for the trip to Galway.

Nothing of the sort happened. A recuperated Mick Neville, returned to the centre of defence and Richardson stood by his tried and trusted 4-5-1 system and with the personnel he has used for the bulk of the season. The players, of course, had been reading the papers as well. We were used - and how. At this stage of the season, this codology is legitimate. All sorts of tricks and tactics come into the equation.

Certain managers have been notorious for withholding information about selection and players fitness, and some go so far as to mislead the media Lest Shelbourne are taken in a bad light, the information lines from St Patrick's regarding injury reports are to be taken with a pinch of salt: Brian Kerr prefers to keep everyone guessing about his line up for as long as possible.

In this, the Bohemians manager Turlough O'Connor isn't exactly the most forthcoming. "We'll wait and see", he usually says.

At the start of the season, finding the team's best balance is the priority. In its middle chunk, the team is given its head. In the run in, pure footballing considerations are almost secondary.

Now is the time when a manager discovers who his most reliable players are. It is now that games take on fascinating sub plots. Which players can handle the pressure, minimise mistakes calm those around them?

Invariably, experience comes in to play. This is where managers, want players who they can count on. Who made the decisive act in deciding the destiny of the title on the last day of the 94-95 season? Tom McNulty. While all around players were losing their heads, McNulty made a rare sortie forward to spring Galway's offside trap and set up a 2-0, win.

Richardson may have considered dropping Gary Howlett, but in the heel of the hunt Neville's return was an adequate buffer and the experienced Howlett returned to form.

Take last Friday night's Richmond Park thriller, when St Patrick's beat Drogheda 3-2 in a fair old ding dong of a tussle. Ricky O Flaherty grabbed the headlines with his 11th and 12th league goals of the season. Yet, the real heroes of the night from an Inchicore perspective were ice cool centre half Dave Campbell, Liam Buckley and Noel Mernagh.

Buckley held the ball up far better than his fellow, striker O'Flaherty, brought his team mates into and brought some calm to their frenzied football.

Noel Mernagh carried on, doing the unspectacular ball winning and sensible distribution which makes him such a valuable member of the side. That was most evident when he refused to panic as Drogheda - and the crowd - hounded him to get rid of the ball prior to him starting the move which yielded his team's second goal.

None of this makes us any wiser about the destination of the title. St Patrick's have the initiative once more, Brian Kerr instilling a unity of purpose and organisation which makes them justifiable favourite Shelbourne have their wise old owls as well in the likes of Neville and Howlett. Bohemians, too, have players who have been through the mill before. Those that played with St Patrick's in 1990, James Coll, Derek Swan and not least Turlough O Connor have all been around the block.

They all have to be on their guard. There are some menacing floaters about in form Shamrock Rovers and UCD sides go to Tolka, Park and Richmond Park on Friday for fascinating derbies.

Unfortunately, the best football may have passed us by. From now on it's all about results - for the respective sets of fans as, much as anyone. But the drama makes up for it. There's a lot of, twists to come yet.