MICK McCARTHY is promising a testimonial game with a difference when Celtic provide the opposition for a Republic of Ireland XI on Packie Bonner's big day at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.
On Wednesday Ireland will be in action against Liechtenstein at the same venue and McCarthy pledges to use tomorrow's exercise to develop the competitive edge required to get the country's World Cup challenge back on track.
It ought to be said that ambition hasn't always hardened into application on occasions such as these and one recalls that there were sonic disillusioned spectators after Celtic sent a shadow team to Dublin last year.
This time, however, McCarthy's pledges carry a convincing ring as the Irish manager prepares to lift his team for one final surge in a season which has sagged perceptibly since those opening successes against Liechtenstein and Macedonia.
Essentially, however, it is Bonner's day as the Republic's record breaking goalkeeper prepares to take his leave of a stage which he enriched by his presence for so long.
At 37, his playing career, surprisingly, has been in decline for some time. But, if the glory days are over, his influence, in his coaching appointments with both Celtic and Ireland, may continue to be important.
The effect of Tommy Burns's abrupt sacking three weeks ago has been to create a climate of doubt at Parkhead. Billy Stark, the assistant manager, whose last official engagement this will be - hasn't yet articulated his team plans. A club spokesman said that the intention was to field a side in keeping with the significance of the occasion.
Celtic will not arrive in Dublin until tomorrow morning.
Bonner is likely to play the first half of the game for Ireland and then the expectation is that he will take over from Gordon Marshall in Celtic's goal for the last 10 minutes.
For McCarthy, deprived of the services of his first choice goal keeper, Alan Kelly, it will be an opportunity to give Shay Given some much needed match practice in the second half before facing Liechtenstein.
Given, I suspect, will not be short of motivation, for the circumstances of his departure from Parkhead over two years' ago are still painful. Ironically, Celtic are now among those monitoring developments as the Donegal man prepares to take his leave of Blackburn Rovers.
It will be interesting to note how the Irish manager deploys Gary Kelly, an unqualified success on his return to the team in Romania last month. On that occasion, Kelly was given a freerunning role and the manner of his response suggests that McCarthy may now persevere with the experiment.
Denis Irwin's withdrawal, because of injury, spares the Irish manager a difficult choice, for even if the Manchester United player had been available, McCarthy might have found it difficult to include him at the expense of omitting Jeff Kenna. The Blackburn man's aggressive running caught the mood of an improved performance after he had replaced Irwin in Bucharest. On that form, he deserves to stay.
The expectation is that the central defensive partnership of Ken Cunningham and Ian Harte will also be retained, although it is likely that Gary Breen, whose career has gone off the boil, at least temporarily, will be given a run at some stage.
Further out the field, Alan McLoughlin's return from suspension will be noted and there will be sharp interest, too, in the contribution of the Watford striker avid Connolly after his remarkable return to the team in the Romanian game.
Those intending to watch the game are advised by the organisers to buy their tickets in advance from HMV's nationwide outlets. Only a limited number of tickets will be on sale at box offices on the approach roads to the ground tomorrow.
