LISTENERS OF THE 42′s Football Family podcast on Monday would have learned just how far some players will go to win a penalty.
Some might find it hilarious, others appalling.
Let your conscience be the judge.
Former League of Ireland boss Shane Keegan wouldn’t divulge the player, or even the club, but he explained how one of his former charges had a particular form of additional training to hone his craft after sessions with his teammates.
He would take a bag of balls to the endline, close to the corner flag, and begin to dribble.
Just like in a match, the player in question would make sure to keep the ball as close to his feet as possible. The pace had to be right, to replicate the intensity of match nights. Then, with the goalpost approaching, he would fling into action. Literally.
A dummy would be thrown, the ball would go one way and the opposite foot dangled out to ensure the connection with the post was timed to perfection so as to look natural.
Time and again he would repeat the drill so that that final, most important connection coincided with the exact moment he pushed the ball in the opposite direction.
The act may be deceitful but you have to respect the honesty of effort.
The thing is, he didn’t lick it up off the ground. So to speak. Keegan explained how the player had been taken under the wing of an older professional earlier in his career. Another trade secret uncovered, and maybe the identity of the player in question will soon be known.
Keegan did coach Patrick McEleney at Dundalk but it’s fair to assume he is not the one in question.
His dive last Friday night was one of desperation, and it looked like it too. He nipped in ahead of Josh Honohan and, as some might argue, began to fall in anticipation of some contact from the Shamrock Rovers defender.
Given the angle of both players’ runs, McEleney cutting across the full back, the majority of times there would be even slight contact.
Not this time, and as McEleney fell, it seemed obvious from the comfort of an arm chair that it was a dive.
The referee in question was looking directly at the incident from about 15 yards away while the assistant was the same distance looking from the touchline. Both thought it was a foul.
Both were wrong, and Pat Hoban was not about to show mercy with a ruthless conversion from the spot. It meant there was even greater focus on the incident.
Rovers boss Stephen Bradley fumed at the officials, his Derry counterpart Ruaidhrí Higgins backed his player, while former League of Ireland winner with St Patrick’s Athletic Conan Byrne pointed the finger of blame at McEleney.
At the time of writing, some five days after the incident, it will come as no surprise to hear that none of McEleney’s fellow professionals felt compelled to issue a complaint with the players’ union about the behaviour of one of its most prominent members.
They know the reality: all is fair when you are battling for silverware, and livelihoods.
That point could mean a league title and additional bonuses. Champions League progression and the champions’ path in European qualifiers means more money for the club. A contract that may or may not be on the table may all of a sudden have a few extra hundred euro a week or even last for a year longer.
Galway United travel to Waterford tomorrow with just a three-point cushion as the battle for a possible European spot intensifies – Sligo Rovers are in that mix too and face league leaders Shelbourne.
Desperation would be considerable at the other end of the table, when staying up could be the difference between a full-time and part-time deal. Drogheda United face Bohemians tomorrow knowing three precious points will not only keep them clear of Dundalk at the bottom, but would mean Bohs are only one point ahead and most certainly in a battle to avoid the promotion/relegation play-off.
Winning by any means necessary is the name of the game.
Some – like Higgins – have called for VAR in the League of Ireland to clear up incidents like Friday’s, but that would be an absolute disaster here. The technical and physical infrastructure is not there while the standard of refereeing is already stretched as it is without games requiring additional officials and diluting the quality further.
The McEleney moment is still being talked about now because it ended up making a difference. If the referee or his assistant spotted it, then it would be forgotten by now.
And that’s the crux, because it ended up having an impact on the outcome of the game, and possibly even the title race given Derry and Rovers are looking to rein in Shelbourne at the top in what is now a tantalising last six weeks of the season, it’s a talking point that has continued into this weekend’s games.
There will be more controversies to come with so much at stake, of that you can be sure.
Tomorrow’s fixtures (All kick-offs 7.45pm, unless stated)
- Shelbourne v Sligo Rovers (Live on Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Play)
- Dundalk v Bohemians
- Drogheda United v Derry City
- Waterford v Galway United
- Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick’s Athletic (8pm)
