Soccer

Mathews the first managerial casualty of season as Shelbourne say he resigned

Doherty left to pick up pieces as Tolka Park awaits visit of St Patrick’s Athletic

Alan Mathews has resigned as Shelbourne manager. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho
Alan Mathews has resigned as Shelbourne manager. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Fri May 17 2013 - 02:00

Alan Mathews last night became the first managerial casualty of the domestic football season when Shelbourne said in a statement that the 47-year-old Dubliner had resigned.

Mathews had come under increasing pressure in recent weeks following the club’s poor start to the season. Having won just one of their 13 league games, they languish two points adrift at the foot of the table.

It’s understood that Mathews’s backroom staff have left the club also, with the exception of first-team coach Kevin Doherty who will take charge of the team for tonight’s visit of St Patrick’s Athletic to Tolka Park.

Mathews took charge in July 2010 and led Shelbourne back to the Premier Division the following year when they also enjoyed a run to the final of the FAI Cup which they lost on penalties to Sligo Rovers.

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Doherty has been left an unenviable task in trying to field a strong side this evening as defender Brian Shortall and midfielder Robert Bayly are suspended while goalkeeper Niall Burdon, Glenn Cronin, Adam Hanlon, Paul Crowley, Stephen Hurley and Dean Kelly are out injured. Doherty will hope Robert Cornwall, Craig Mooney and Mark Leech can pass fitness tests to in some way boost his options.

Unbeaten in nine games, St Patrick’s, who’ll go joint top with a win, have no such worries as they are confident striker Anto Flood should return from illness to give manager Liam Buckley a full squad to choose from.

In tonight's other Dublin derby, Shamrock Rovers plan without captain Pat Sullivan, fellow defender Danny Ledwith and striker Mark Quigley, all of whom are out with hamstring injuries, for the visit of Bohemians to Tallaght Stadium. Manager Trevor Croly will hope Conor Powell is be passed fit to come back into the team at left-back. Bohemians are weakened by suspensions to key players Roberto Lopes and Chris Lyons while goalkeeper Dean Delany is almost certainly out with a groin strain.
TONIGHT'S FIXTURES (7.45 unless stated): Cork City v Bray Wanderers; Drogheda Utd v Derry City; Shamrock Rovers v Bohemians (live on RTÉ Two, 7.05); Shelbourne v St Patrick's Athletic (8.0); UCD v Limerick FC.