Clinton Morrison's successful international debut may have gone down well with the crowd at Lansdowne Road last week but a few supporters of the league here will have viewed the 22-year-old's first appearance for the Republic of Ireland senior team with mixed feelings.

Morrison's goal last week, as well as his overall contribution to Ireland's cause during a fairly chaotic second half, looks to have put paid to any hopes Glen Crowe had of actually playing for his country in the immediate future.

Of course, there wasn't any real hope Crowe would have been involved in the games against Portugal and Estonia. A place on the bench in Tallinn seemed a very remote possibility but it was understandable that Mick McCarthy opted for more experienced players. Had McCarthy been remotely impressed by Crowe, though, Wednesday's game against the Croats presented the perfect opportunity to see what he was capable of, particularly after it was agreed that each coach would be allowed to make nine substitutions.

That McCarthy opted instead to throw in Morrison says a lot about where he stands on what has been a major debating point here since what seems like the beginning of time: just how does the league here compare with its counterpart in England and at what level could our leading clubs survive over there?

In Copenhagen last week Dermot Keely was asked his views on the subject and made a fairly convincing case that Shelbourne could survive in Division One. European performances would suggest he is right, as would, in so far as anything can really be read into them, performances in pre-season friendlies. But McCarthy's decision on who should be given a shot at staking a long-term claim to the ongoing striking vacancy in his squad is a strong indication of where he stands in the debate. Other events tend to underline the fact that, within the management game at least, he's not alone.

Given the fact so few players get signed by larger English clubs, the decisions by Shaun Maher and Colin Hawkins to move to clubs in lower divisions in the hope of catching the eye of a larger outfit is understandable. What is surprising, however, is that the pair, widely regarded as two of the best centre halves in this country could do no better that second division Bournemouth and Conference side Doncaster Rovers respectively.

On Saturday, Hawkins again started on the bench for Doncaster and he is being linked with a move to Bohemians. Money may be a problem for he is probably paid more than any National League player, while Rovers may look for a fee which would almost certainly scupper any deal. But there is little question if he did come back he would be a regular with the Irish champions.

Then there is the case of Crowe himself, let go by Wolves before failing to do enough during short spells at Cardiff, Exeter or Plymouth to secure himself a contract. Of course, in his case there was then an indifferent season back at Dalymount before he really found his goalscoring touch but it remains odd that so many managers in lower divisions failed to spot his potential.

Equally, one would have expected Ebbe Skovdahl to ignore Richie Foran's falling out with Don Givens if he was really all that taken with the striker. Instead, he offered the Shelbourne man desperately poor money to move to Scotland and then, after Foran had indicated the terms would have to be improved, pulled out of the deal at the first sign of trouble.

The list continues, with the likes of Tony Sheridan, Stephen Grant and Brian Barry Murphy all struggling to make an impression in the English lower divisions over the past few years.

That McCarthy rates Morrison more highly than Crow, then, is hardly a huge surprise. Even less so given that, prior to taking up his current position, he had never managed at a higher level than the English first division himself.

So, would equating Crowe's success here with Morrison's far more patchy form at Palace over the last year or so require him to admit to himself he had managed a club no better than those who will battle it out over the coming months for the championship here? If so, then McCarthy doesn't seem to have been prepared to swallow the idea nor, after Morrison's goal, is he likely to give it much thought again.

UEFA have clarified their position regarding the fine imposed last week on Shelbourne in the wake of their tie against Brondby. In their original statement European football's governing body had said the £4,000 fine was as a result of the behaviour of the Irish fans in Denmark but yesterday the organisation confirmed it was the result of the conduct of the players, four of whom were booked, while Stephen Geoghegan was sent off. The striker received a four-match ban.

Shamrock Rovers have sold the naming rights for the main stand at their new Tallaght ground to kit manufacturers Umbro. The deal is reported to be worth an initial £100,000 with an additional £50,000 a year for the next five years.