General
- Thursday March 18th, 2010 @ 13:14
SAINTS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS
St Pat's take on newly promoted UCD in the Airtricity League at Richmond Park on Friday hoping to maintain their 100% record.
With two wins from two, including Tuesday nights' 2-0 win over Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers, Pete Mahon could not have hoped for a better start to the season.
“The win in Tallaght was hard fought but well deserved.
"Since January the players and coaching staff have spent a lot of time together, by my calculations we've had 25 training sessions and ten matches", Mahon told stpatsfc.com.
”We're becoming more familiar with each other and that is starting to show and stand to us”.
UCD will travel to Inchicore on the back of a decent start to the season themselves.
The Students beat Drogheda United 0-3 away on the opening night and narrowly lost out to League Champions Bohemians 1-2, having led the game through a Greg Bolger penalty.
A player to watch for UCD is in form striker Ciaran Kilduff, who scored twice for the Students in their league opener against Drogheda United.
UCD boss Martin Russell believes Ciaran, along with the entire squad, have made a positive start to the season:
“It's early days but Ciaran has made a good start, but so have all our lads, we've a squad of young players with tremendous potential”.
Saints' manager Mahon managed the Belfield side for over five and a half years, taking charge of 165 games before handing over the reigns to his assistant Martin Russell.
“I could see the coaching qualities that Martin possessed a few years back and his transition from assistant to manager has been a seamless one” said Mahon.
“His achievement in guiding UCD to promotion as First Division champions is almost impossible to overstate, to win a league that contained Sporting Fingal, Shelbourne and Waterford United was a brilliant feat.
"We're under no illusions as to the challenge facing us on Friday night” added the former UCD boss."
Team News
Brian Cash is suspended but Noel Haverty returns from a hamstring injury. Mahon has no serious injury worries:
”Tuesday was a tough game, a few knocks were picked up and we'll have a look at some players tonight at training but no serious injuries to report”.
Manager's Quote
"We're only two games into the season so we won't be getting carried away with ourselves and it's my job to make sure everyone keeps working hard and that no one takes their eye off the ball.
"I would especially like to acknowledge the wonderful support we had on Tuesday night, over 600 supporters were there to get behind the team and that for the players and the coaching staff was great to see.
"Hopefully the Pat's fans will come out in force again on Friday night." – Pete Mahon
St Pats v UCD
kick off 7.45pm at Richmond Park this Friday 19th March 2010.
Tickets are now on sale at Club Shop on Emmet Rd.
