Mahon Puts Pat's in Box
Published: March 23, 2010
There we were back-slapping each other in the dressing room on Friday night when manager Pete Mahon walked in and put us back in our boxes. He warned us that there is a long season ahead and we haven’t achieved anything yet.
That’s what I like about Pete. What you see is what you get. With him it’s either black or white. And when he talks we all listen. Still, it’s still nice to have maximum points even if the season is only three weeks old.
We had a magnificent result against Rovers last week. It’s great to play them at their new home in Tallaght. Their stadium is top class and with 5,500 fans crammed in there is an incredible atmosphere. We brought 800 of our own fans and thankfully we gave them plenty to cheer about. And I must say they were brilliant on the night. They were rewarded with goals from Ian Birmingham and Vinny Faherty.
Our fans were delighted with the goal celebrations from the lads but Pete Mahon was not too impressed that Vinny got a yellow card for his antics after scoring. It was a great night for our fans and for us as a team. Getting three good results this early in the season is great for our young squad, but I dont agree with some of the reports that Rovers are in crisis after just three games.
Michael ONeill has assembled one of the strongest squads in the country and I still believe anyone who finishes ahead of Rovers will be in the top two.
Sadly, before I leave the Rovers match I must address the serious situation that I found myself in when a Rovers fans ran on to the pitch midway through the second half. He was making his way towards our keeper Gary Rogers and I immediately ran over and grabbed him by the neck and marched him off the pitch.
As the referee pointed out, I should have probably left it to the stewards, but when you are two up against Rovers and the adrenaline is flowing, god knows what comes over you. In hindsight the ref was correct, I should have left it to the stewards, hopefully it wont happen again this season.
On Friday UCD came to Richmond. It was the first time Pete had come up against his old club since he left two years ago. It certainly added a little spice to the encounter and Petes normally animated team talk didnt let us down.
The brand of football UCD played on the night was impressive; if more teams in the league played a similar style the league would be better for it. The result flattered us a little but it is great that Vinny picked up his second of the season and Ryan Guy his third.
Last season we had the worst defensive record and the worst attacking record in the league. With the three results we have had so far, lets hope that is a record we can proudly hand over at the end of the season.
This Friday we travel to Dundalk, who had a great result on Sunday against Rovers. Their artificial pitch has come in for some criticism but I actually enjoy the surface. Pete has a session planned for us this Wednesday on a similar surface so we wont have any excuse when we travel up on Friday.
The Lilywhites have had an equally impressive start to the season. Ian Foster is turning out to be one of the brightest young managers in the League. He has assembled a great squad and Neal Fenn, in particular, is someone we will have to watch.
We are both unbeaten at the moment and it promises to be a cracker but something has to give.
Damian Lynch
Premier Perspective: Damian Lynch is an extratime.ie columnist giving his views on the current state of the league as well as his own personal performance with St. Patricks Athletic. The Saints' skipper will give his views each and every Tuesday.
