There's an interview with your manager now on www.dundalkfc.com along with Dundalk post-match reaction from John Gill, Thomas McGauley and Chris Bennion, and also a match report.
27 June 2007: Limerick Post Match Reaction // Keith Wallace speaks to Paul McGee
Limerick 37 picked up their second successive draw since the resumption of the league on Tuesday evening, when they gained a hard fought point against leaders Dundalk at Oriel Park. As a result, the Shannonsiders remain in third spot and exactly the same position as they were in before kick-off, seven points behind the pacesetters.
And, it was a result that Limerick manager, Paul McGee was clearly happy with. “I’m absolutely delighted,” McGee told dundalkfc.com. “I came up here missing three first team players, because they couldn’t get off work. I have three kids there tonight who played, it’s their first League of Ireland game and they’re 18 years of age. We set up tight, and obviously I had to, but at the end of the day, I thought we got the best two chances. We missed a sitter in fairness, a tap-in.
“We set out to frustrate Dundalk, and when you play like that, it is hard to play against, because people are doing it to us all year. The draw was vital for us tonight to keep us in the chase. I had a very weak team, so obviously, I’m a bit afraid coming up here. I never aim for a point, I set up a system, I suppose, to make it hard for Dundalk, but I know that I still have players that can nick a goal. Dundalk came down to our place earlier in the season and nicked a 1-0 win, so I was hoping to return the favour to John. We got the chance, but we didn’t take it.
“I’m going through a bit of turbulence with injuries. I have a very, very small squad, I basically have twelve players, and outside that, I have very little quality. In the last couple of weeks, with these midweek games, I’ve had guys who haven’t been able to make it because of work and I have a few injuries also, so anything we get at this stage is brilliant. Next week, I have three strikers signed and I have two central midfielders signing, so we’ll be a very different outfit in another couple of weeks.”
When asked who those signings were, McGee revealed three, two of whom have returned to the Shannonsiders from a Premier Division club. “The strikers are obviously Wayne Colbert and Robbie Kelleher, who have come back from Shamrock Rovers, and we’ve also signed Derek McCarthy, who is an experienced guy at this stage, but he’s very sharp, he’s a goalscorer. It’s absolutely brilliant (to get Colbert & Kelleher back), they went to Shamrock Rovers when Limerick were falling apart last season. When things are going well now, there are people ringing me wanting to come back, so that’s a big
upturn - it’s brilliant.”
Limerick have been the surprise package for many this season, after it appeared for some time that the Blues would not even field a team in this year’s league. McGee’s troops are currently sitting clear in the last playoff spot, and the boss admitted that getting into the playoff is his aim. “That’s what I’m aiming for, yes. We have a cushion between us and fourth, and to be honest, in these few weeks, I’m just hoping to hold on to that cushion. I don’t mind if I even drop a point, we have to be realistic. We’re playing Shelbourne on Friday night, and I’d be looking to get a win there. And then, when these guys come in next week, we’re going to give it a right go. We’re going to be all guns blazing after that, because we’re going to have fresh legs.”
So sixteen games gone, but what’s Paul’s views on the First Division season so far? “Cobh are very like ourselves, they’re very tight at the back and are very strong, so they’re very, very hard to break down. Dundalk are much the same. I think Finn Harps are coming into form, they have a strong squad and they’re starting a bit of a run now - they’re climbing. It’s going to
come to a situation where we’re going to have big games from now on, and I’m really looking forward to it.
“There’s a lot of pressure on John and Dundalk here when you’re leading a league like that, I’d bring to mind the Celtic situation in Scotland this year. You’re so far ahead, and by the end, you go into freefall and things can get sloppy very easily. Cobh are pushing on, obviously Dundalk, and from here on in, I can see a lot of teams getting better…Harps have picked up now and Kildare are there as well. It’s all to play for now in this second half to the season, and all the teams now know, that if they’re serious about challenging for promotion, that they have to beat Dundalk and they have to beat Cobh to close the gap.”
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