Soccer

St Pat’s hoping to keep Shamrock Rovers waiting for four-in-a-row

Home win against Sligo earlier in week secures European competition next season

St Patrick's Athletic manager Jon Daly: 'I have [a] firm belief in what we are trying to do.' Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
St Patrick's Athletic manager Jon Daly: 'I have [a] firm belief in what we are trying to do.' Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Fri Oct 27 2023 - 06:00

While last Monday’s home win over Sligo Rovers secured Europe to move them three points off the top of the table with two games to play, and with a cup final to come, Jon Daly remains phlegmatic on the remarkable job he’s done at St Patrick’s Athletic.

Losing at home to Sligo last May meant St Patrick’s dropped to seventh in the table, signalling the end of manager Tim Clancy’s tenure in charge with Daly, his then assistant, taking over on an interim basis.

Winning three of his opening four games, the one defeat coming despite a rousing display at Shamrock Rovers, enabled Daly to be appointed permanently three weeks later.

It’s Rovers who visit Richmond Park tonight when a win, and to all intents and purposes, a draw — given their far superior goal difference — will clinch the title for Stephen Bradley’s visitors to equal a historic four-in-a-row league championships.

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“No,” said Daly when asked if he was surprised at the turnaround he has overseen. “I back myself, I back the players. I have [a] firm belief in what we are trying to do. That was one of the first things we spoke about when I came in on an interim basis, that the players and the staff, that we work tirelessly.

“I think every coach in the league works extremely hard and I think we are right up there with the hours that we put in. With the players we have we know that there is a good team and individuals in there. We had probably lost a little bit of self-confidence that we tried to get back into them. We certainly have that now.”

On achieving European qualification in his first stint as a manager, Daly remained poised.

“It’s good. I’m obviously happy. I never get too high or too low. You get good results, you get bad results. I’m obviously delighted for the club, first and foremost for the players. The staff and myself are obviously delighted that we’ve managed to secure it. But I’m not thinking about Europe now. I’m thinking about [tonight] and trying to beat Rovers and force them to go and win down in Cork [on Monday].”

Keeping the title race ajar was the team talk before last Monday. St Patrick’s have done just that to set up what should be a terrific night by the Camac.

“We’ve kept it alive. It’s going to take a lot of things to happen for us to win the league this year,” said Daly. “But we are not a million miles away. I think if we had said at the start of the season we would be three points off with two games to go we would have taken that. It’s very much down to us to do our work and hope other teams do you a favour.”

With their game in hand at Cork to come before finishing at home to Sligo Rovers next Friday, it’s very much Rovers’ title to lose with Bradley on the cusp of his own exceptional achievement.

“We know a point does it for us considering our goal difference, but we’ll go there to win the game,” he said. That doesn’t change whether we’re home or away. We know Pat’s have some good players and that hasn’t changed all year and Jon Daly has done a really good job since he’s gone in. It’s a Dublin Derby and we’re ready to go. We’ve built up to this point since the first day in pre-season. There will be nothing on our mind other than winning.”

Tonight’s fixtures (7.45 unless stated)

Premier Division

Cork City v Derry City

Dundalk v Bohemians

St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers (8pm)

Shelbourne v UCD