Fenn signs for Waterford
Fenn, 26, trained with Waterford over the past two weeks and impressed McGeough sufficiently to earn himself a contract. He will occupy one of the substitutes' positions in the Waterford team for tonight's match in the Eircom League against Derry City at the Regional Sports Centre (7.30pm).
Fenn was an outstanding prospect at U-21 level when he played with Tottenham Hotspur. But he found it difficult to break through at White Hart Lane and was released by Peterborough at the end of last season.
Said McGeough: "He has lost very little as far as I am concerned from the time he played regularly with Ireland. He is a good footballer who has already fitted comfortably into the squad in Waterford, and he will be a big help to us this season."
McGeough was delighted with Waterford's win over Bray Wanderers in the FAI Cup, when they overcame a half-time deficit of a goal to win well.
He said: "I was always confident. Although we were behind we were playing well, and I believed we would go on and win the game once we kept up our standard and so it proved."
The good performance means that McGeough will not change the team for tonight's match, and this explains why Fenn will not start. The strikers who impressed against Bray Vinny Sullivan and Daryl Murphy will be asked to continue the good work.
There will, of course, be a certain emotional element to this match for McGeough, who first came to prominence as a player with Derry. Since he was appointed manager of Waterford they have faced Derry three times, but always at the Brandywell.
They met in the League Cup, in last season's FAI Cup and in the first round of the League. "I am highly delighted at last to be playing them in Waterford," McGeough commented. "Revenge, as they say, will be very sweet," he added with a laugh.
Cork City will be seeking to close the gap at the top of the table when they play Drogheda United at Turner's Cross (7.45pm), where they will have to plan without centre-back Alan Bennett. He is serving a ban after being dismissed against Shamrock Rovers last week.
Bennett's run of bad luck stretched back to the Cup match when his mistake gave Derry City their decisive second goal. But manager Pat Dolan said: "I've got nothing but respect and admiration for Alan, who is still only 21, and is Cork City through and through.
"He is a little down at the moment, but for me he is purely and simply a good player who can go on to become a great player if he can use setbacks like this to learn from them. You will always meet disappointments in life, and Alan has been having a very good season for us."
Dolan will wait for a late fitness test on his winger Michael Mulconry before finalising his squad. Mulconry withdrew from an Irish universities international team travelling to play in the World Games in Korea because of his commitment to Cork.
Conor O'Grady returns to the Cork squad after serving a suspension, and Derek Coughlan is likely to start his first game for them in Bennett's position after his return from Bohs.
John O'Flynn again showed his talent for goals when he scored with Ireland's U-21 team in mid-week. He delighted his manager when he sent him this text: "We won 5-1 and I scored one for the Rebel Army."
Drogheda United manager Harry McCue will have a full squad of players to choose from for the first time this season, and he called on them to respond by delivering three important points from their visit to Cork.
Another club chasing points is Bohemians, who are in danger of losing their hold on the league championship trophy early. They face a difficult test against St Patrick's Athletic at Dalymount Park (7.45pm).
Bohs welcome back full-back Thomas Heary, winger Bobby Ryan and midfielder Stephen Caffrey after injury. All three missed their Cup win over Skerries Town. But Bohs will be without Paul Keegan, and Colin Hawkins faces a late fitness test.
St Pats have injury worries about Barry Prenderville and Davy Byrne, while Charles Mbabazi and Paul Osam will undergo late fitness tests.
UCD will play Longford Town at Belfield (7.45pm) and manager Paul Doolin yesterday rejoiced at the news that midfielder Mick O'Donnell and centre-back Tony McDonnell are available after recovering from injury.
The experienced McDonnell missed five weeks because of a hamstring strain, and Doolin will be hoping he will provide the leadership to help them recover from two defeats on the trot. Prior to that they had gone five matches without loss.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
