ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC boss Liam Buckley believes his squad possesses enough depth to cope with a number of key absentees ahead of tomorrow night’s game with Cork City.
The Saints sit second behind leaders Sligo and a point ahead of Shamrock Rovers in the Premier Division with a third of the season played and welcome Tommy Dunne’s side to Inchicore next.
The wealth of talent in midfield has been a key factor in their good form but they have been stripped of James Chambers, Greg Bolger and Mark Rossiter due to a combination of injuries and suspensions.
“James will be out for around six weeks with medial ligament damage, Greg is suspended and Mark has done his cruciate and is expected to miss a few months,” Buckley explained at a press conference today.
It’s disappointing and leaves us with a bit of a gap in the middle of the park this weekend. That said, we’ve got a decent squad and it means an opportunity for someone else to get in and stake a claim.”
As well as being unbeaten in the league so far, Pat’s have produced an attractive brand of football at times with the 5-1 win over current champions Shamrock Rovers a stand-out performance. A keen believer in the passing game, Buckley has witnessed instructions drilled into his side by coach Trevor Croly pay off.
“Myself and Trevor put it across to pass the ball in certain areas and in certain ways,” he says. “It doesn’t just come because you tell them to pass the ball. We practice harder and as long as the players do that we’ll keep on improving.”
On their latest opponents, the former Shamrock Rovers manager expressed his admiration for the job Tommy Dunne has done with the Leesiders.
“Tommy has done great with them. They started off with a couple of draws and a losses but have since found their feet and have won three of their last four games, which tells me we will have a tough game on our hands.
“We’re at home and are confident from doing well in recent weeks so we’re looking forward to it.”
