Waterford and Pat's give debuts to new signings

There will be new faces all round when Waterford United visit Richmond Park tonight to take on St Patrick’s Athletic (7.45pm).

Defender Ben Whelehan is set to make his Waterford United debut after joining the Blues from Premier Division strugglers Dublin City.

The former Kildare County and Kilkenny City man had been transfer-listed by Vikings manager Roddy Collins earlier this month and the 25-year-old had been courted by a number of clubs before opting to sign for player-manager Alan Reynolds at the RSC.

With the transfer deadline looming next week, St Patrick’s Athletic boss John McDonnell has also been busy and will give debuts to striker Robbie Doyle and Brendan Markey tonight.

Doyle left Bohemians by mutual consent this week having requested a transfer earlier in the summer.

The striker joined St Pat's yesterday. Markey, 27, was released by Monaghan Unted at the weekend and had looked set to join Dublin City having scored a hat-trick for the Vikings in a friendly on Monday against Belgrove.

But with St Pat’s sliding towards relegation trouble, McDonnell stepped in to sign the former Millwall player.

In addition to Whelehan, Waterford will have Mark Clifford and Dave Mulcahy available after injury while former Wolves man Ken Coleman returns having missed last week’s 7-2 FAI Cup thumping of Kilkenny City due to ineligibity.

Player-boss Reynolds is serving a ban, though while Wayne Fitzgerald and John Frost are back in training following injury but still short of match fitness.