Warnock sets Morrison ‘Trap’

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI may not start work with the FAI until May 1st, but even the prospect of his presence was enough to produce a match-winning effort from Republic striker, Clinton Morrison on Saturday.

Morrison was told by Crystal palace manager Neil Warnock that the new Irish manager was at Selhurst Park to run the rule over the striker and his young compatriot, Sean Scannell for the game against Scunthorpe.

Morrison duly netted the second goal in a win that consigned Scunthorpe to an immediate return to League One — only to learn afterwards that it was Trapattoni’s assistants, Marco Tardelli and Liam Brady who were present in south London.

However it was well worth the trip for the Republic’s management team. The Eagles’ promotion chase was kept ticking along by Morrison rounding off the 2-0 win with a headed goal just prior to the break. Scannell, meanwhile, replaced Victor Moses after 66 minutes, bolstering his reputation with a spirited performance.

Said Morrison afterwards: “When the gaffer (Neil Warnock) told me before kick-off that Mr Trapattoni and Liam Brady were here it made me nervous,” Morrison admitted. “It’s the first time I’ve been nervous before a game, so it was good to perform the way I did and get a goal. Hopefully I’ll be able to make the squad’s final 28.”

The nerves showed with a couple of fluffed opportunities but his 15th goal of the season relieved the tension — a yellow card for an over exuberant celebration showing how much it actually did.

“I thought my chance of getting back into the squad had gone as I was scoring goals and still not getting picked,” said Morrison. “You just have to keep on playing well and hope that you will get back in and, luckily for me, that has happened.

“I was never going to announce my retirement from international football. I always felt deep down that if I kept playing well and scoring for Palace there might be a chance.”

More of a chance, it seems, than Trapattoni’s red Bull Salzburg have of retaining their Austrian League title.

A 3-2 loss on Friday at SV Mattersburg has left Salzburg four points adrift of Rapid Vienna with only two games remaining.

“You have to be a realist and admit that bridging a four point gap with two matches to go is difficult,” said Trapattoni. “We will be giving our all to the very end however. We are defending not just our title but our prestige and reputation. “On Friday we wasted a really big chance at the start and then conceded two stupid set-piece goals.”