Hasn’t this scenario played out many times before? The big star returns home to take over the local team. The crowds flock for the first game, the ground is full, the atmosphere buzzing and the entire competition lifted by the local boy done good.
If anything is going to go off script, it will be the match itself. That’s exactly where Damien Duff found himself this evening as his tenure as Shelbourne Manager got off to a disappointing start.
The Tolka Park club were on the wrong end of a 0-3 scoreline. Having initially believed they had taken the lead, only to see the ‘goal’ rather harshly chalked off, their Richmond Park rivals clinically took the chances which came their way.
The first of which was an absolute rocket of a shot from Darragh Burns, before Mark Doyle and Jay McClelland both netted and made it a tough night at the office for Duff but a great start to the campaign for new St Pat’s boss, Trim native Timmy Clancy.
Defeat will obviously leave Duff with plenty to ponder, a lot of it positive, mind you. And, from a bigger picture perspective, having the former Republic Of Ireland winger at such a hands on and high profile level can only be good for the League.
Another Trim man, Ian Byrne, will be hoping to make an impact with UCD having transferred to the Bellfield club during the closed season. Though primarily engaged with College’s U-19s, the former St Pat’s player had featured in pre season friendlies for their first team but is undergoing treatment for an ankle injury. He is expected back in early March.
That’s only one man’s synopsis of the opening night’s action in The Greatest League In The World, not only will it be interesting to see how these couple of stories pan out but there are bound to many more along with them.