Derry want to bury Athlone

THE day of reckoning dawns, and as usual it won't be dull. Downs Inchicore way they'll have a full house, one heck of a party and a Cup final dress rehearsal. Elsewhere, they'll be saddling up and riding out for the climax, with Derry eager to open the relegation trap door for Athlone.

There is also a lucrative Intertoto place to be decided. The prospect of hosting the number one qualifiers from Holland and France in the mid-summer Intertoto Cup (as well as relatively attractive trips to Norway and Greece) adds significantly to the Bohemians shamrock Rovers and Drogheda Sligo games.

Fourth-placed Sligo, two points clear of Shamrock Rovers, have surely changed their tack on the poor relations of UEFA's four club competitions, given that Dutch and French TV rights would make the Irish qualifiers anything but impoverished. Drogheda, meanwhile, need the points to preserve their Premier Division status. Whatever they do, Athlone, who frail Drogheda on goal difference, must do better at the Brandywell.

This time a year ago Athlone denied Derry the title with a famous 1-1 draw at St Mel's Park while Dundalk lifted a substitute trophy at Oriel Park. Will we ever forget? Certainly Derry won't.

Two months ago it hardly seemed feasible that the corresponding Derry-Athlone fixture would be the last day's most intriguing affair. Athlone were last, nine points adrift of 10th-placed Drogheda with a game more played. Remarkably, they have bridged the gap with 17 points from nine games, and no one is more pleased than Derry. This is the scenario they wanted.

You sense manager Felix Healy would like to be playing. "A number of old scores have to be settled. I hope we beat them and relegate them to the First Division. I have no sympathy whatsoever for Athlone Town and if we can play as hard as they did last year I will be quite happy.

"Last season's game meant nothing to them and quite rightly they did not want to do us any favours but the attitude of their players left a lot to be desired."

Though only five of that Derry side remain, the sense of bitterness remains strong. Centre-half Paul Curran says: "It's pay-back time. I've no problem with the result last time, but the gloating and the delight coming from the Athlone dressing-room afterwards left a very sour taste in my mouth."

"I've never seen so many players from another team gloating over a 1-1 draw - you'd think they had just won the championship. After all, win, lose or draw, the match meant nothing to Athlone. As far as I'm concerned I want to beat them and I want to beat them well."

Healy added: "Athlone have come back from the dead in recent weeks but I hope Derry City will finally bury them in the First Division come 5 p.m. on Sunday."

Strong stuff. The Athlone manager, Tony Mannion, was slightly taken aback to learn of the mood in Derry, and clutched to the hope that "maybe that might work to our advantage, I don't know."

Meanwhile, Pat Quigley has been formally elected as president of the FAI after serving as acting president since the departure of Louis Kilcoyne.

Pat Kelly, the Cork official in his last season as a referee, has been chosen to referee the FAI Cup final between St Patrick's and Shelbourne at Lansdowne Road on Monday week.

Ciaran Carrick's 25th minute goal set Vianney Boys on their way to a 1-0 win over Kilmore Rangers and a hat-trick of Leinster Junior Cup wins at Tolka Park last night.