Clancy hoping to see Pat’s build
By Daire Walsh
AN AWAY trip to Damien Duff’s newly-promoted Shelbourne at Tolka Park tomorrow night (kick-off 7.45pm) may well be top of their agenda this week, but St Patrick’s Athletic manager Tim Clancy is not afraid to look at the bigger picture.
Having helped Drogheda United to remain in the top-flight a year after guiding the Boynesiders to a second-tier title, the Meath native was hired by the Saints as a replacement for Stephen O’Donnell.
Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers have been the standard-bearers in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division over the past two seasons and the 37-year-old former Kilmarnock defender believes it up to the remaining sides in the league to turn up the heat on the Hoops.
“It’s the team that everyone has to try and set their targets [against], to see if they can try and catch and close the gap. Rovers won the league in the half-season by 11 points and 16 last season,” Clancy pointed out.
“They’re the ones that everyone is going to be aiming towards this year. My job, after Pat’s having a brilliant season last season, is to try and build on that now. Get closer, if not try and surpass Rovers this season.”
In order to mount a serious bid for the title, Pat’s will be looking to hit the ground running.
Some high-profile players have left the club since they brought the FAI Cup back to Inchicore last November and another is set to depart in the summer.
Former Cherry Orchard youth star James Abankwah is already officially contracted to Serie A side Udinese, but has been loaned back to St Pat’s until July.
The Lucan resident featured for 76 minutes in the Saints’ penalty shootout defeat to Shamrock Rovers in the President’s Cup last Friday and is also in line to see some action in Drumcondra this evening.
“It will be really interesting to see how his career develops and it’s going to be a pleasure for me to work with him for the next six months and to see where he goes on after that,” said Clancy.
“He’s got a brilliant attitude, which also bodes well for him in his career going forward.
“It hasn’t affected him in any way. That probably tells you his mentality and the fact that he wants to stay and do the Leaving Cert tells you that he’s got a good head on his shoulders as well.”