Perth parts ways with Dundalk

TALLAGHT native Vinny Perth has departed his role as head coach of Dundalk FC for a second time.

After initially being relieved of his duties in August 2020, Perth returned to the Lilywhites in June of this year.

At the time of his reappointment, the Co Louth outfit occupied eighth place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and were in real danger of being dragged into the relegation battle.

While there were some difficult results along the way, Perth guided Dundalk to nine wins and four draws from 21 league games in charge during his second tenure.

This ensured that they finished sixth overall and although they failed to achieve European qualification for the first time since 2012, his eventual successor can at least prepare for top-flight football at Oriel Park in 2022.

Though it is yet to be officially confirmed, it seems likely that their former captain Stephen O’Donnell – who guided St Patrick’s Athletic to the FAI Cup at the Aviva Stadium last Sunday – will be the one to assume the hot seat.

Having ended his playing career at the club, Perth returned to Dundalk as an assistant to his former Longford Town manager Stephen Kenny in 2013.

After his fellow Tallaght man took over the Republic of Ireland Under 21s in the winter of 2018, Perth was handed the reins at Oriel Park.

In a successful first year at the helm, he secured the Premier Division, the EA Sports Cup, the FAI President’s Cup and the Unite The Union Champions Cup while just missing out on the FAI Cup.

Benson strikes gold for St Pat’s in tense Cup final win over Bohemians

Daire Walsh

Robbie Benson etched his name in St Patrick’s Athletic folklore by striking the decisive penalty in a 4-3 shootout victory for the Inchicore men at the expense of Bohemians in a nerve-wracking FAI Cup decider at the Aviva Stadium this evening.

A winner of this competition with Dundalk in 2018, the Westmeath native showed nerves of steel to fire past Bohs netminder James Talbot and ensure an outcome was finally determined following 120 plus minutes of drama in the Ballsbridge venue.

This ends a seven-year wait for Pat’s to claim a fourth Cup crown and sees them lifting competitive silverware for the first time since 2016.

Having held off the claims of Shane Griffin – a Cup winner with Cork City in 2017 – to start the game at left-back, Ballyfermot’s Ian Bermingham had the honour of lifting the trophy.

Alongside goal-scorer Chris Forrester, he is a survivor from the Pat’s team that defeated Derry City in the 2014 final.

There was some local interest in the Bohs side as well, with Lucan native Ciarán Kelly named at the heart of the Gypsies defence.

He was one of three former Pat’s men selected in their match day squad, the others being star striker Georgie Kelly and substitute Rory Feely – both of whom were at the Inchicore club as recently as last season.

The Saints had the best chance of the opening period on 36 minutes, when Jamie Lennon linked up superbly with Benson and forced a brilliant save out of Talbot.

Though the tie remained scoreless at the interval, there was enough evidence in the first half to suggest that a breakthrough goal could arrive sooner rather than later.

A troublesome calf injury led to Georgie Kelly’s withdrawal in the 61st-minute and when his namesake Ciarán pulled up during the final-quarter, Feely was thrust into the action.

The tension around the Aviva increased as the full-time whistle approached, but for the sixth time in just seven years, extra-time was required on the biggest day in Irish soccer’s domestic calendar.

The deadlock looked set to remain unbroken at the end of the first additional period, until Forrester weaved through the heart of the Bohs defence and unleashed an unstoppable effort beyond the reach of Talbot.

This put the Saints within touching distance of a memorable triumph, but Feely came back to haunt his former side when he headed past Saints custodian Vítězslav Jaroš off a Keith Ward corner in the 107th-minute.

This was the Kildare man’s first goal for the Gypsies and it took a goal-line clearance from Jak Hickman to deny him a game-clinching second.

This set-up a battle of wits from 12 yards and Bohs appeared to hold the upper hand when Forrester had his penalty saved. However, a lifeline arrived in the form of Tyreke Wilson’s wayward strike.

Ronan Coughlan and Billy King had already rattled the net and with Jason McClelland and Benson doing likewise either side of Keith Ward hammering the crossbar, the St Pat’s faithful were able to celebrate a return to the promised land.

“It’s always the biggest goal of the year”

Evergreen Mannus delighted to help Hoops to yet another Premier Division crown

By Daire Walsh

IT MAY be the ninth league title success of his extraordinary career to date, but Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus was nonetheless thrilled to help the Tallaght men towards yet another SSE Airtricity League Premier Division triumph in 2021.

After helping Linfield to finish on top of the Irish Premier League ladder on no fewer than five occasions, Mannus first made the switch to Rovers in August 2009.

He went on to win back-to-back top-flight crowns with the Hoops (albeit he left for Scottish club St Johnstone before the 2011 season had ended) and has now done the same in his second stint in Tallaght.

“It means everything,” insisted Mannus. “In terms of what we set out at the start of the season, the main aim was always to win the league. It’s always the biggest goal of the year. That’s what you set out to do. I’m obviously delighted that we were able to do it again.”

The last line of defence in a team that finished 16 points clear of nearest challengers St Patrick’s Athletic, Mannus is also the Hoops’ elder statesman at 39 years of age. In fact, he is more than two years older than his manager Stephen Bradley, who was still in his 20s when he brought his own playing career to an end.

While the former Northern Ireland international has committed to another year with Rovers, he admitted the 2022 season could be his last as a professional footballer.

“I’m staying on for another year, which I’m delighted to do and looking forward to doing. I’ve said to the manager more than likely it will be my last.  Probably 99% that will be it. Never say never, but when you come to this age, you know when you’re coming to the end of your career and when you’ve a few years left.

“You don’t know what will happen in life and football, but I don’t think I will play after next year. I’ll be happy to do another year and be 40 when I’m doing it and still hopefully playing at that point. I want it to be a good year as well.”

Given it will almost definitely be his swan song as a player, Mannus is hopeful of ending next year on a high. Having secured those back-to-back crowns under Michael O’Neill in 2010 and 2011, it wasn’t until the truncated campaign of 2020 that Rovers got their hands on the Premier Division trophy again.

Completing the three in-a-row in any league is difficult and while Dundalk managed that feat under Stephen Kenny in recent times (2014-16), the Hoops haven’t done so since recording four league triumphs on the bounce from 1984 to 1987.

However, now that the club is becoming re-accustomed with success, Mannus believes it can be a farewell to remember.

“That would be nice. As I say, the aim is always to win the league, then try and do well in Europe and try to do well in the Cup. I’d like to finish on a high obviously. It would be nice for me personally, but also nice to do it for the club and everyone who supported me over the last few years and obviously 10 years ago as well,” Mannus added.

“They gave me a lot of support, so I’d like to contribute as much as possible to success again. There’s so many reasons why we want to do well obviously. It’s not just about it being probably my last year, but it’s the demand of the club regardless if it is someone’s last year. I’m well aware of that.”