EIRCOM LEAGUE: A glance at this morning's final table of the Eircom League's Premier Division might suggest that his side are champions for the second time in three years but as he announced that he would be resigning from the post of Shelbourne manager Dermot Keely made it clear at Dalymount Park yesterday that winning the title due to administrative errors at Richmond Park fell well short of what he felt he owed his employers.
"Since I came to this club the support that I've received has been incredible, everything that I asked for I was given," said Keely after watching his side go down to a humiliating 4-0 defeat by Dublin rivals Bohemians.
"With the money I've been given you should be winning the league, not every year but more than the once we've managed in the four years I've been here. You could count today as number two but the truth is that it's been debased and I certainly don't feel like a champion."
Although he initially said that he would talk to the club's board before making a final decision on his future it became increasingly obvious as he talked about the sense of disappointment he felt that he had already made up his mind to go.
"My inclination is that it might be time to finish," said Keely, whose contract was due to expire over the summer. "I'll stand up and say when I've failed and when I do I'll do the right thing, nobody will have to tell me to go."
In the event the final decision was all but made for him by the club's chief executive, Ollie Byrne, who reacted to Keely's remarks by saying that "I haven't heard the whole content of Dermot's comments but as I understand it he has indicated he will be resigning. Regretfully, we might have to accept that resignation."
While Keely signalled his departure Martin Murray said that the board at Dundalk would decide his future after the club was relegated from the Premier Division despite winning 3-0 in Monaghan. The Oriel Park club needed not only to win but also for Longford to lose at home to St Patrick's Athletic if they were to stay up. As it turned out Martin Lawlor's side managed a 1-1 draw and so avoided the automatic drop by a point.
