Rovers hope Twigg and Price are right
Twigg picked up a hamstring injury which forced him to leave the pitch in Bray on the night he scored his 50th goal for Rovers and the club secured its first title since 1994.
“We didn’t take him off as a precaution but because he didn’t look like he could function properly,” says O’Neill. “Had we needed to keep him on and he would have missed the cup final, we would have done so. But both him and Aidan are doing everything they can to be fit.”
O’Neill confirmed that the final will be the last game in the senior career of Dessie Baker and hopes the veteran striker will be able to sign off on a double high.
“He’s been a huge player since I came to the club,” said the manager. “Last year, he was on his way out to an extent. He’d been on loan at Dundalk, and become disillusioned. But (assistant manager) Trevor Crolly knew Dessie, and had worked with him at Longford. And he said to me that if we could get him fit, focused and playing, he’d be an asset. He’s an infectious fellow and very important in the group.
“Last season he and Twiggy were magnificent. This season has been difficult. He was not as fit as he could have been because he’s not played as much. He’d been coming back after lay-offs and has struggled a wee bit. I feel that’s a factor in reaching the decision (to retire). His mind is made up and he wants to go out on a high. If he goes out with a double it would be fitting end to an extremely good League of Ireland career.”
On the basis of healthy ticket sales to date, League of Ireland director Fran Gavin has expressed confidence that Sunday’s attendance at the Aviva Stadium could rise as high as the 30,000 mark, to bring an entertaining domestic season to a suitably heady climax. And it could even mean that the cup final crowd exceeds the turnout for the international friendly against Norway at the same stadium on the following Wednesday.
Gavin also revealed that plans are afoot to expand the Airtricity League Premier Division for the 2012 season – meaning significant changes to the promotion and relegation situation at the end of next year.
Although Gavin refused to be drawn on the detail, it could mean that relegation from the top flight could be done away with for the coming season, with a number of teams coming up but none going down.
“We’re assessing what will happen in 2012 and the clubs have discussed it,” said Gavin. “The board of the FAI has the final say. We recognise that there needs to be an expansion in the Premier Division, and the numbers that we’re looking at could be anything between 12 and 16. Everyone will know what’s going to happen before kick off next year. Everyone will know what is required sooner rather than later because people will need to sign players and they will need to get their budgets correct around what’s going to happen at the end of next season.”
Meanwhile, the FAI has announced it is launching an investigation into the collapse of part of a perimeter wall in the Carlisle Grounds during the dramatic Bray Wanderers v Monaghan United promotion-relegation play-off game on Monday night.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
