“Those results give us confidence and self-belief”
May 24, 2013
BOHEMIANS v ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC (Friday May 24th, Dalymount Park, 7.45pm)
Bohemians host in-form St Patrick’s Athletic boosted by an injury-time draw in their last league game and an extra-time win on Monday in the EA Sports Cup, writes BRIAN TRENCH.
But manager Aaron Callaghan insists his team will have to be at its best to get a result from Friday’s clash with second-in-the-table Pat’s.
“Those last two results give us added confidence and self-belief,” said Callaghan. “But the mood in the squad was always good, even when we had to deal with difficult defeats, games that we felt we deserved a lot more from.”
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Last Friday’s late equaliser against Shamrock Rovers represented just reward for the players’ efforts, added Callaghan. “That was probably our best performance of the season. We passed the ball well and we had a great confidence and energy about us.”
Ryan McEvoy’s equaliser also cancelled out a deficit due to “as bad a referee’s decision as I’ve seen anywhere in the game”, according to the Bohemian manager.
“To come back from that and get a goal in injury time was brilliant. But it would have been one hell of an injustice if we hadn’t got something from that game.”
Friday’s match will be Bohemians’ second league game against St Patrick’s Athletic in less than a month. “We went over to them a few weeks back and we had a good performance. They’re a very good side and it will be a difficult game in Dalymount. We will have to be at our best to get a result,” said Callaghan.
Nine of the last ten league games between Bohemians and Pats have been drawn or decided by a single goal either way.
Captain Owen Heary (hip) and Conor O’Brien (illness) are out, as is Keith Buckley who serves out the second game of his two-match suspension.
Callaghan made eight changes from last Friday to Monday. “You take a big risk when you do that but you’ve got to give these guys game-time because you will need them before the end of the season.”
Against Shamrock Rovers he put on 19-year-old defender Michael Scott for his first league appearance, placing him up-front in the hope of taking advantage of his height and he was on the field when the equaliser was scored.
Callaghan’s faith in the other less-tested players was rewarded on Monday, as was his entrusting of the captaincy to Luke Byrne, the third 19-year-old to lead Bohemians’ senior team in the last three years.
“I saw leadership qualities in Luke the first week I trained with him. Asking him to skipper the side is just reward for Luke’s attitude, effort and dedication.”
