RODGATE, OR WHATEVER we are calling Roddy Collins’ fierce criticism of last weekend’s FAI Cup final has taken another twist today after Luton Town manager John Still – allegedly the person who the League of Ireland needed to impress – commented on his experience at the game.

He didn’t exactly give the standard a ringing endorsement but he wasn’t as negative as Collins portrayed him either.

“It was a scouting trip and we looked at three players,” Still said to Dunstable Today.

“One of the players did okay, although it wasn’t a good game, but that’s one of those things that can happen a lot in cup finals; they don’t live up to expectations.

“If you don’t look you don’t find though. I had a look, whether we take that on, we’ll wait and see.”

Obviously, Still wasn’t likely to eviscerate the standard of football in Ireland in a newspaper in the same way he might to a friend but it was a more tempered response than you could have expected after Collins’ criticism.

Originally published at 14.17

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