LEAGUE OF IRELAND:AFTER HIS close-season switch from Cork City to Shamrock Rovers, Dan Murray gets his first taste of the Dublin derby circuit this evening and while the 27-year-old says he is looking forward to the experience of lining up against St Patrick's Athletic in Tallaght, he admits the novelty of it all might not endure too long.
“I’m looking forward to it alright,” he says, “because probably the closest thing we had to this at Cork was the Munster derby with Waterford but there was a fair few miles between those two.
“This is a big game for us, an opportunity for us to get up and running after the draw in Sligo and because it’s St Pat’s there should be a good crowd there but,” he adds with a laugh, “pretty much the whole season is going to be Dublin derbies by the looks of things so I’m not sure how special they’re all going to feel when we get a few months into the season.”
The relative lack of travel should make a pleasant change for Murray who put in a lot of time on buses during his years with City.
“Yeah, it’ll be good just to have a short hop to so many of the games,” he says. “It’s a laugh, some of the lads here complain about the journeys to Sligo and Galway but at Cork we were doing that and more every other week.”
Murray’s move was sparked by the difficulties at Cork and, in particular, the growing sense he had that he was unwanted at the club by its then owner as a result of the way he had spoken out on behalf of the players last year. Despite some regrets about the way in which his stint at Turner’s Cross ended and the fact City will not be in the top flight this year, the big centre back insists he is happy now with the way things have worked out.
“The way things were, I had it in my head that it was time for me to move on and no better place to come than Shamrock Rovers, a big club with their eye on the title and with great support, which we should see for this game.”
Murray, fellow City defector Danny Murphy and the club’s other close-season signings, meanwhile, have been joined at the club by attacking midfielder Robert Bayly who became Michael O’Neill’s latest signing over the weekend.
Bayly is a nephew of former Rovers player Ritchie who spent last season at Sporting Fingal having previously played in England with Leeds United. O’Neill will look to him to add to his attacking options, particularly over the next few weeks as Dessie Baker and Gary Twigg work their way back from injury.
St Patrick’s Athletic manager Pete Mahon has his problems too ahead of the short away trip with Ian Bermingham and Conor Kenna both rated as doubtful after picking up knocks in the defeat by Linfield over the weekend.
In the night’s other game, UCD will be without the suspended Seán Harding for the visit of Bohemians but skipper Evan McMillan could play some part as he heads towards full fitness after a long lay-off while Pat Fenlon has Jason Byrne and Jason McGuinness sidelined by injury.
Premier Division: UCD v Bohemians, UCD, 7.45; Shamrock Rovers v St Patricks Athletic, Tallaght 8.0.
