O’Neill hoping for fond farewell

SHAMROCK ROVERS captain Dan Murray yesterday recalled the excitement at the draw for the group stages of the Europa League when it emerged that the Hoops’ last game of the campaign would be the glamour fixture of a visit to Tallaght by Tottenham Hotspur.

But now that the great night has dawned, there are bound to be mixed feelings inside the stadium at the foothills of the Dublin mountains, because the end of a season has suddenly been transformed into the end of an era.

The club finally confirmed the worst kept secret in Irish football yesterday when a statement was released officially announcing that tonight’s game against Spurs would be manager Michael O’Neill’s last in charge.