Connolly unlikely to tackle youth tour

DAVID CONNOLLY is likely to resist renewed pressure to make himself available for the Republic of Ireland squad travelling to Malaysia for the final of the World Under 20 championship in July.

With the tacit approval of Mick McCarthy, both Connolly and Ian Harte have intimated that they will not be available for the prestigious event which is being promoted with some vigour by FIFA.

There is an element within the association, however, which holds that, fitness permitting, all selected players should travel, regardless of any extraneous clauses which may be invoked.

The case for Connolly's withdrawal is that he has had a difficult season with injuries at Watford and that it would be blatantly unwise to jeopardise his prospects of being ready for the resumption of the World Cup programme in August by asking him to undertake a close season tour.

By the time the new season starts, the 19 year old Irishman, who is currently out of contract with Wafford, may well have changed clubs. Preliminary talks with Kenny Jackett have not provided a basis for agreement and now a second round of discussions is planned for next week.

Harte has been significantly luckier in avoiding injury problems with Leeds United in the season just ending, but in his case it could be argued that he would benefit from a summer break after a busy year at club and international level.

For different reasons, the pair excited McCarthy as he watched his team recover from a tense opening half hour to rout Liechtenstein 5-0 at Lansdowne Road on Wednesday.

Although the pressure mounted by the visitors was non -existent, the manager saw in Harte's central defensive partnership with Ken Cunningham still more proof of a precious asset in the making.

The reasons for elation over Connolly's contribution were a lot more obvious, of course, after he had put a hat trick together in the space of 12 minutes approaching half time - an achievement bettered only by Don Givens who needed three minutes less for his three goal salvo against Turkey at Dalymount Park back in 1975.

With five goals to his credit in just six games, Connolly has made the perfect start to his Ireland career, but he may do well to punder the experience of David Kelly, who scored four times in his first two games and has taken almost 10 years to get to his total to eight.

Perhaps that is what McCarthy meant when he said: "I think people should retain a sense of proportion. The lad has worked wonders to get so far so soon but to label him as another John Aldridge at this stage of his career is plainly wrong.

Otherwise, however, the manager was prepared to let his enthusiasm flow after noting the manner in which Ireland's first World Cup win since the 3-0 dismissal of Macedonia last October was received by a crowd of almost 30,000.

Clearly, the spirit displayed in last month's unlucky defeat in Rumania had caught the imagination of the public and now the months ahead are heavy with opportunity as McCarthy prepares for the final push in his qualifying programme.

If there is a cloud on the horizon, it is that many of the younger members of the squad are still unsettled in club football. In addition to Connolly, Shay Given, Keith O'Neill, Mark Kennedy, Gareth Farrelly and Dave Savage could all be on the move before the end of the year. And that is a situation fraught with some danger.

Farrelly, whose career with Aston Villa has not taken off in the expected manner, is now out of contract with the club and with just one full first team appearance to his credit this season, he will require some convincing that his future lies at Villa Park.

Kennedy, too, has played only a limited number of senior games for Liverpool. In his case, however, he was beset by injury worries for much of the season and there is at least some evidence to suggest that Roy Evans still perceives him as an important member of his playing staff.

The other side of the coin is that Andy Townsend and Roy Keane looked sharper in central midfield on Wednesday than at any time in McCarthy's term of office and in that surely there is cause for comfort.

. Middlesbrough defender Chris Morris has been forced to retire at the age of 33 because of injury.

The Republic of Ireland fullback, who joined Boro from Celtic in 1992, underwent a knee condition 12 weeks ago, but the injury has not responded as was hoped.

"It was a very difficult decision to make, but I know it was the right one," he said.

"I was fortunate to enjoy an exciting career with the Republic of Ireland and all my clubs, so although it is a sad day for me, I have many happy memories to look back on.

Morris played 104 times for Middlesbrough and won 35 caps for his country. He was in the Irish squad for the European Championship finals in Germany in 1988 and the World Cup finals in Italy two years later.