As his team attempted to put Tuesday night's defeat at Inchicore behind them ahead of this evening's visit to leaders Shelbourne, Bohemians manager Roddy Collins still seemed firmly fixated on the St Patrick's match yesterday when he again strongly criticised the club and its manager Pat Dolan.

"I'm very disappointed with Pat (Dolan)," he said. "He is always talking about promoting the league but that pitch we played on the other night didn't promote anything. It was an embarrassment and St Pats keep it that way because it suits the way they play. If a decent team goes there they can forget about playing."

Collins, whose side slipped back to third place after the defeat, went on to threaten to rest players - Shaun Maher and Glen Crowe - this evening, arguing that he now felt that his side are playing for second place and that, with other important games coming up over the next two weeks, he does not wish to risk anybody while effectively doing St Patrick's a favour.

Meanwhile, Monaghan United and Waterford United will have to play their home games against first division leaders Dundalk behind closed doors. Tonight's game between Athlone and Drogheda United at St Mel's Park is also subject to similar restrictions over the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Shamrock Rovers manager Damien Richardson, meanwhile, criticised league officials for the way in which games postponed as a result of the crisis have been rescheduled.

"It's a crazy schedule," he said. "To have three games in a week after such a long lay-off lacks common sense. We want all of our best players to be fit for next Friday's cup semi-final, a game that is live on television and probably the sporting highlight of the day but because the players are having to play so much while they are still lacking match fitness we are having all sorts of problems. It's typical, we'll end up playing seven games in 21 days and nobody bothers to talk to a manager about how that might affect the players."