AIDAN KEENA SAYS “the best case scenario” for St Patrick’s Athletic is that the League of Ireland Premier Division title race goes down to the final night of the season.
Speaking after he was named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland player of the month for September, the Saints’ striker accepts the Hoops are firm favourites to win back-to-back crowns and make it six in the last seven years.
Only Shelbourne, under Damien Duff in 2024, have been able to break Rovers’ dominance since 2020.
Stephen Bradley’s side opened up a six-point lead with a late 2-1 win over Bohemians at the start of this week, a result that leaves the Gypsies in third place, level on 59 points with St Pat’s.
While Rovers and Bohs have three fixtures remaining this month, St Pat’s have a game in hand on Monday away to Derry City and with a superior goal difference could leapfrog the champions should they drop three points.
Before that, though, St Pat’s welcome Dublin rivals Shelbourne to Richmond Park on Friday with Rovers away to Galway United, a club they have not lost to in 20 years since they were in the First Division.
Shels’ campaign is effectively over given they cannot finish in the top three and an avenue to European football was cut off by Waterford and Derry City reaching the FAI Cup final next month.
“They turned Sligo over and they played really well in the game. We watched it. We didn’t have a game ourselves. We watched it here. They play good football and they’re a good team. They have good players. They haven’t had the best season themselves, but they’re all playing for places and playing for contracts or whatever it may be,” Keena said.
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“It’s never a case of you’ve nothing to play for. I’ve never went out on a pitch as a player and thought, ‘oh, I’ve nothing to play for here today’. I don’t expect any of them to be doing that either.
Aidan Keena celebrares a goal against Shamrock Rovers last month. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s cliché to say it, but we really are only focused on Friday. We know ourselves, realistically, Rovers have three games left, we have four games left. To catch them, it probably would take to the end of the season, but not if we don’t win on Friday.
“It really is just we need to win on Friday and that’s it. We’ll focus on the next game after that.
“I think, to be honest, that’s probably what we’re looking at [the last game of season]. That’s probably best case scenario at this stage. But really we have to look after Friday first to make that possible.”
If St Pat’s can force it to the final game of the season there will then be the prospect of a home derby with Bohs to potentially pip Rovers to the title.
The Gypsies are not mathematically out of the equation, but it feels like Monday’s defeat in Tallaght, on the back of losing their FAI Cup semi-final with Waterford, has completely taken the wind out of their sails.
Allied to that, captain Dawson Devoy received a red card for his part in the melee at full time against Rovers and is likely to miss the final three games of the campaign.
For 27-year-old Keena, the ambition is to help fire a side to a league title.
“You don’t want to have all these personal things and no actual team awards or trophies or whatever to go with.
“Absolutely, we’re looking to win something. We’re all working hard. Obviously, it’s not as easy as just working hard. You need things to go your way.”
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St Pat's striker says 'best case scenario' is for title challenge to last until final game of season
AIDAN KEENA SAYS “the best case scenario” for St Patrick’s Athletic is that the League of Ireland Premier Division title race goes down to the final night of the season.
Speaking after he was named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland player of the month for September, the Saints’ striker accepts the Hoops are firm favourites to win back-to-back crowns and make it six in the last seven years.
Only Shelbourne, under Damien Duff in 2024, have been able to break Rovers’ dominance since 2020.
Stephen Bradley’s side opened up a six-point lead with a late 2-1 win over Bohemians at the start of this week, a result that leaves the Gypsies in third place, level on 59 points with St Pat’s.
While Rovers and Bohs have three fixtures remaining this month, St Pat’s have a game in hand on Monday away to Derry City and with a superior goal difference could leapfrog the champions should they drop three points.
Before that, though, St Pat’s welcome Dublin rivals Shelbourne to Richmond Park on Friday with Rovers away to Galway United, a club they have not lost to in 20 years since they were in the First Division.
Shels’ campaign is effectively over given they cannot finish in the top three and an avenue to European football was cut off by Waterford and Derry City reaching the FAI Cup final next month.
“They turned Sligo over and they played really well in the game. We watched it. We didn’t have a game ourselves. We watched it here. They play good football and they’re a good team. They have good players. They haven’t had the best season themselves, but they’re all playing for places and playing for contracts or whatever it may be,” Keena said.
“It’s never a case of you’ve nothing to play for. I’ve never went out on a pitch as a player and thought, ‘oh, I’ve nothing to play for here today’. I don’t expect any of them to be doing that either.
“It’s cliché to say it, but we really are only focused on Friday. We know ourselves, realistically, Rovers have three games left, we have four games left. To catch them, it probably would take to the end of the season, but not if we don’t win on Friday.
“It really is just we need to win on Friday and that’s it. We’ll focus on the next game after that.
“I think, to be honest, that’s probably what we’re looking at [the last game of season]. That’s probably best case scenario at this stage. But really we have to look after Friday first to make that possible.”
If St Pat’s can force it to the final game of the season there will then be the prospect of a home derby with Bohs to potentially pip Rovers to the title.
The Gypsies are not mathematically out of the equation, but it feels like Monday’s defeat in Tallaght, on the back of losing their FAI Cup semi-final with Waterford, has completely taken the wind out of their sails.
Allied to that, captain Dawson Devoy received a red card for his part in the melee at full time against Rovers and is likely to miss the final three games of the campaign.
For 27-year-old Keena, the ambition is to help fire a side to a league title.
“You don’t want to have all these personal things and no actual team awards or trophies or whatever to go with.
“Absolutely, we’re looking to win something. We’re all working hard. Obviously, it’s not as easy as just working hard. You need things to go your way.”
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Aidan Keena League of Ireland LOI player of the month Soccer