St Patrick's superior as Shelbourne lack pace

IN THE greater scheme of things, this League Cup group decider at a sodden Tolka Park yesterday will not go down as one of the season's classics. It may not even be particularly relevant. Yet it conveyed some important messages.

Not the least of these is that all seems well in the champions' camp. In citing the most pleasing aspect of their, third group win, the St Patrick's manager Brian Kerr took great delight in stating that Eddie Gormley's performance utterly dispelled rumours surrounding his supposed dissatisfaction with the club.

"He showed everybody that his desire to play for St Pat's is 100 per cent," commented Kerr, adding that his talisman's display was "classic Gormley." Sensible and error free in his distribution throughout, supremely composed on the ball, willing and able to beat his man, Gormley's display was almost highlighted by one of those long range lobs which are now de rigeur in the game. Clearly, they're all watching too much television.

Gormley then provided words of comfort for the Richmond faithful, re affirming his manager's words. Everything's sorted. I'll be with Pat's for the next two years.

In many other respects too, St Patrick's look their customary selves. Passing the ball more sharply from the off than a flat Shelbourne, they took the lead after a concerted bout of pressure in the 22nd minute. Thereafter, increasingly, the game had 1-0 written all over it, despite Shelbourne's lording of possession and St Patrick's funnelling back deeper and deeper in the second half.

John McDonnell and Mick Moody reactivated an old St Pat's partnership in the heart of their defence dating back to the late 80s and were rock like in cutting out through balls and dominating in the air.

Trevor Crolly too, was a worthy match winner, the new signing from Drogheda impressing with the work rate and variation in his play from a nominal right sided midfield role. Ricky O'Flaherty too held the ball up with his tree trunk thighs and all in all, St Patrick's had that old solidity and stubborness about them.

They were helped, as Damien Richardson admitted, by the slowness or "safety" of Shelbourne's build ups. Hence the abiding memory of the match is of Shelbourne and St Patrick's players alike lining up deep inside the visitors' half as if in an orderly queue awaiting the next attack.

Despite, or perhaps because of congested build up to the season, some Shelbourne players look a yard or two short of their best. Stephen Geoghegan's timing has rarely been so awry and Brian Flood's discernible frustration not surprisingly got the better of, him when he was sent off in the 86th minute for a second cautionable offence when mistiming his tackle from behind on Willie Burke.

Richardson queried the validity of Flood's first booking early in the second half when awkwardly catching Crolly's legs from behind. Fuelling what is likely to be a feisty rivalry, he also cited St Patrick's for being "negative", claiming "it takes two to tango", though he also admitted that "we became sloppy so neither side was entertaining. That kind of game does nothing for the League of Ireland."

He described the goal as daft. Converted centre half Greg Costello (otherwise one of the few to maintain his form from Bergen) conceded a corner when perhaps being a tad too clever in exchanging passes with Pascal Vaudequin near the goal line.

The ensuing delivery led to sustained pressure, dragging Shelbourne out of position and culminating in a Paul Osam cross. Crolly's first touch inadvertently took the ball past a couple of wrong footed defenders before he shot home from 10 yards.

Unlike last year's two Cup final meetings, and no doubt drawing on the memory of them, this time St Patrick's were not for wilting.

As Shelbourne juggled their resources, with Dave Tilson livening up their play, Gough was exposed a number of times, denying Crolly, then doing enough to force Martin Reilly wide, seeing Crolly round him only to shoot against the post and then saving from O'Flaherty before Geoghegan's cross just eluded the incoming O'Rourke in the last minute. But Shelbourne could have no real complaints.