Fenlon remains upbeat despite Shels’ shaky start
Shelbourne’s slow start to the Setanta Cup allied to the loss of two home points to UCD on the opening day of the league season have caused some to doubt their capacity to win a third consecutive championship.
These are early days, of course, and Fenlon showed his confidence in his squad as well as his laid-back attitude to Shels’ stuttering start by saying: “People might be asking questions, but we have made such a bad start that if we win against Waterford we can go top of the League. We have four points from our opening two League matches and any team would have taken that had they been offered it before kick-off.”
Fenlon can, undoubtedly, take comfort from the knowledge that he has a big squad of talented players. With Joseph Ndo, Bobby Ryan and Glen Fitzpatrick all close to fitness after recent injuries, his options are becoming better by the day.
Waterford United manager, Alan Reynolds, is not one to underestimate Shelbourne and he stressed the size of the challenge they face despite their sparkling start with wins over Longford Town and Finn Harps.
He said: “I was pleased with our performance in beating Longford but although we beat Finn Harps our performance was not good enough. Shelbourne will be hard and we will need to step up our game at Tolka.”
Reynolds is suffering from a groin strain and says he has only a 50/50 chance of being fit.
Waterford will have the dynamic Daryl Murphy back after being on international duty with Ireland’s U21 squad in Israel and his vigorous play should give Waterford a lift.
They will, however, be without Kevin Doherty because he is on loan from Shels. An understanding was reached between the clubs about him playing. Indeed the word is that Doherty, who trains with Shels, had to work out on his own this past week.
Derry City manager, Stephen Kenny is in the happy position of having four strikers all fit and all bidding for inclusion in the team to play Bohemians at Dalymount Park. He will probably pick just two from Stephen O’Flynn, Alan Murphy, Mark Farren and Gary Beckett.
Derry will be without two injured central midfielders - Barry Molloy, who has tendonitis in a knee, and Kevin Deery, who is out with a medial ligament problem.
Both missed the encouraging 2-0 win over Drogheda United two weeks ago but back after suspension are right-back Eddie McCallion and left-back Damien Brennan.
Derry play a Bohemians team without three first-choice players because of injuries - player/manager Gareth Farrelly, Thomas Heary and Tony Grant.
Farrelly is recovering from a thigh muscle injury that interfered with his involvement in the scoreless game with St. Pats and he commented: “St. Pats worked very hard to stop us playing and they did quite well.
“Derry got a great result against Drogheda and they will be confident coming to Dalymount, but we are looking forward to the game.”
UCD manager, Pete Mahon, was left upset as his young team slumped to defeat against Drogheda just a week after holding mighty Shelbourne.
He said: “I was very pleased with the performance and the result against Shelbourne but equally I was very disappointed with the performance against Drogheda. We were very poor and I would like to think that was a once-off because we are capable of much better.”
Mahon will wait for a fitness report on Conor Kenna, who is struggling with a calf muscle injury, and must plan without Robbie McAuley, who is a long-term absentee because of injury.
Bray Wanderers’ manager, Pat Devlin, can enjoy their good start to the season with four points from two games against St. Pats and Cork.
He is likely to keep Stephen Fox in the team after he came off the bench to score the equaliser against Cork and Barry McGrory could be the one to make way.
: Bohemians v Derry City, Dalymount Park; Bray Wanderers v UCD, Carlisle Grounds; Drogheda United v St. Pat’s Athletic, United Park; Shelbourne v Waterford United, Tolka Park, 8pm.
: Athlone Town v Limerick, GI Park; Dublin City v Kildare Co, Richmond Park.
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