The Dugout Stephen O’Donnell and Alan Mathews
I would like to welcome Declan Devine, his players and the officials of Derry City who have made the journey from Foyleside to Richmond Park for this evening's long-awaited Premier Division fixture. Normally, it would be customary for me to welcome the entire visiting party, including supporters. But that won't be necessary on this occasion. Tonight's match is taking place behind closed doors, so Richmond Park will be much quieter than usual. This is the hand we have all been dealt. On the bright side, the very fact that the league is back up and running at all – albeit with a vastly reduced amount of games – is a bonus. Over the past four-and-a-half months we have lived through a unique situation that has never occurred in our lifetime and, once it has run its course, hopefully we will never experience anything like it again. The toll Covid-19 has taken on the country has been immeasurable. One can only hope that we are now on the road to recovery, with no more major obstacles to come. The usual, more personable means of communication were not an option in recent months, so I have spent large chunks of time talking to players on Zoom calls. It has been a worrying time for many reasons and people,
understandably, have sought reassurances. Such was the devastating economic impact of the pandemic, I wasn't always in a position to provide the reassurances sought by players, as much as I wanted to be able to. However, we have come through that dark spell and there is cause for optimism once again. It has been a real release to get back to competitive football. The importance of sport, and in our case football, has surely never been more clear. For myself and the players, it is our job, but it is a job we love and feel privileged to do. For supporters, it is something that both entertains and brings them together for the one cause. We have all missed it immensely. I was very pleased with the application of the players last Friday night and we were good value for the 1-1 draw against Dundalk. During my team talk before the game, there was a special mention for the St Pat’s supporters. In other circumstances, I know that you would have travelled to Oriel Park in great numbers. However, that right has been taken away from supporters for the foreseeable future. We knew you were all watching on television. Some of you in groups, some alone, but all cheering us on. We were acutely aware of that and we talked about giving a
2020 Season • Vol. 32 • No. 3 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City / Finn Harps
performance that would make the supporters proud. The same sentiments apply for tonight and the rest of the season. As long as the application, desire and honesty of effort is displayed in all of our performances, I can ask for no more. After going 1-0 down at the home of the champions, our reaction in the immediate aftermath of that goal was exactly what I wanted to see. The players rolled up their sleeves, stuck to the game plan and were rewarded with a swift equaliser. It's a good point, but no more than a point and our focus immediately switched to Derry City after the full-time whistle. We were back in training on Saturday morning, with those who played the night before focusing on recovery. It is going to be a sprint finish between now and the end of the season. With just 72 hours between last Friday's game and this evening, it's a quick turnaround and the onus is on ourselves to be fully prepared. As a manager, I never look beyond the next game. However, as this programme is a double edition, I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Ollie Horgan, his players and the officials of Finn Harps. Enjoy the games and stay safe, Stephen O’Donnell
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