As Shelbourne look to maintain their remarkable recent run of league form at Drogheda this evening, Pat Fenlon has credited the club's improvement this season to a greater sense of discipline around Tolka Park, where, he says, he was among those to pay a price for last year's failings.
Fenlon's notoriously short fuse during games earned him a succession of bans from the dugout, and after being obliged to watch one-third of his side's league matches from the stand in 2005, he took the unusual step of fining himself for the transgressions involved.
"I put part if it (the improvement in form) down to the fact that, as a club, we've worked hard to get our discipline right . . . myself included."
He laughs off the suggestion he might have attended an anger-management course but says: "I did fine myself when I got sent off. I paid around €2,000 in fines; actually it was probably more than that, so it ended up costing a few bob."
In the end, it seems, the approach paid off, for Fenlon has yet to be shown a red card this year and his team has won its last eight league games, most by hefty margins.
Jason Byrne's form in front of goal has again been outstanding, but Joseph Ndo's performances in midfield have also been a key factor in the team's recent run, the Cameroon international enjoying his most sustained and most productive run in the side since arriving from St Patrick's Athletic a couple of seasons back.
The 30-year-old's contribution was recognised yesterday when he was named the Eircom Soccer Writers Association Player of the Month for July.
The threat posed by the former Strasbourg and Neuchatel Xamax player will be a major part of the challenge facing Drogheda United as they try to reproduce the sort of form shown in Europe during recent weeks against one of their main rivals for the title.
"They're all big games," observes manager Paul Doolin, "but this one is a little bigger because we could be level on points or six behind afterwards."
Both managers have unchanged squads to choose from, which means Shelbourne are at full strength while United will be without Declan O'Brien and James Keddy, both of whom are on the way back from injury.
Derry, meanwhile, travel to Bray without the injured Killian Brennan and the suspended Seán Hargan. Paddy McCourt and Peter Hutton will have late fitness tests while Seán Holmes could make his debut at left back. The home side have Paul Caffrey and Stephen Gifford back from suspension while Tony McGuirk has added new recruits Chris Deans, Garry Rogers and Tony McKeever to his squad.
Bohemians defenders Barry Ferguson and Thomas Heary miss the visit of Longford to Dalymount through suspension, and Aidan Collins is suspended. Having just returned from St Patrick's Athletic, Stephen Caffrey could go straight back into the side at centre half.
Longford's Stephen Paisley and John Martin are at least a week from full fitness but Damien Brennan is likely to be added to the squad.
Sligo may give a debut to Nigerian striker Choice Aisien but Liam Burns is suspended for tonight's game against UCD, while Pete Mahon has Stephen Hurley and Brian Shortall back from injury.
