Inter-League Match

If it's any consolation to Dermot Keely as he prepares his players for tonight's match between the National and Irish Leagues at Terryland Park, he's not the only one with problems ahead of the game.

While the Shelbourne boss has been falling out with his opposite number down at Dalymount, the Irish League side's manager, David Jeffrey, has been busy getting to grips with a series of withdrawals prompted by injuries.

Gone from the visiting panel are five of Jeffrey's first choices while among those drafted in as late replacements is Mark Rutherford - the now Newry Town winger who joins other former Shelbourne players Alan Gough and Vinny Arkins in the northerners' squad of 16.

While Keely will know all about the problems Rutherford might cause his side, he may be just as concerned about Linfield's Chris Morgan, another of the five replacements drafted in, and a striker who many felt might have been included the first time around.

In the circumstances, though, the Dubliner has probably been a little too preoccupied with his own difficulties to worry about those facing his old rival from his playing days up north.

He is keenly aware that officials from both leagues are hoping to use the game as a building block towards some form of regular all-Ireland competition while he must also realise that a poor game this evening would tend to make the fixture seem like more work than it was worth.

The withdrawal of the Bohemians players has not helped matters nor has the fact that Keely will be obliged to keep in mind the fact that the likes of Brian Byrne, Pat Morley and Seamus Kelly have league ties coming up on Friday night.

Still, the manager maintains that, having called up Barry Ryan and Ciaran Kavanagh (both UCD), Eamonn Doherty and Darren Kelly (both Derry City), Jonathan Minnock (Finn Harps) and Jason Byrne (Bray) he is happy that his squad is a strong one and that he is confident his players can put one over on Jeffrey.