Possible clearout for next season

Ormeau Park, Sunday 13 April 2003, 1:30PM

Linenhall Athletic FC (0)2 Dub FC (0)1

This was quite a good performance from Dub but the result was once again disappointing. There are now real fears that club chairman Phil Sheridan may look for major changes before next season. This may start with a change of mangement. Cormac and Art Kernan were reportedly pleading for one more year to turn things around. Initial signs for the Kernan duo are promising. The blueprint unveiled to the chairman at Monday's committee meeting included improving training facilities and a much stricter training regime and a pre-season tour.

Unfortunately these changes will have to be implemented with very little funding. Mr Sheridan is disappointed that his initial investment has not paid dividends to date and given the current financial plight of the club and the state of the transfer market he could only invest ?60 for next season. The message is clear to the Kernan brothers: to rebuild they need to sell players first.

The Kernans insist that they already have the players available to turn things around and that they just need a little more time. They have also decided that the squad (and most of the players!) needs to be trimmed down. They have reluctantly placed the following players on the transfer market: Shane McCusker, Mark Harvey, Ryan McGaughey and their biggest asset, John Quinn. It is thought that their are many club chairman that will chase John F Quinn's signature but Sheridan is keen to keep him. "I know he has not been at his best in the midfield and that Hill could be his natural successor if he goes but I would rather keep him". Sheridan went on to explain "youse boys buy the odd club orange but the mighty Quinn is worth four or five grand a year to me with the amount he drinks".

As for the match Dub started slowly but did well against the wind and should have taken an early lead but referee N Cowan disallowed a Cormac Kernan goal because he was clearly five yards onside. Half time: 0-0

8 minutes into the second half Shane Murphy played an inch perfect pass to Cormac Kernan who continued his remarkable goalscoring streak with his 13th goal in 13 games. Then disaster struck: Ryan McGaughey turned up to watch the match and sure enough when he left ten minutes later Dub were 2-1 down. A late onslaught by Dub saw Michael Smyth booked for running the length of the pitch, going past four players and being taken down when he was clean through for a shot on goal.

Dub continued to push forward and man of the match, Kristian Hill, saw his shot parried. There was late drama to come and Dub twice should have equalised. Art Kernan came on for Cormac Kernan with ten minuted remaining and was involved in a move that saw Shane Murphy put the ball over the bar from all of five yards. He later blamed the miss on the influence of Shane McCusker standing next to him. The last chacnce of the match fell to Art Kernan. He got his big chance when he ran through on the right hand side of the box he chipped the keeper. Suddenly it looked as if all the rehabilitation had been worth it and that he had put his two and a half years of injury and two knee operations behind him but sadly, like Shane Murphy, his point was not enough.

Final score:
Linenhall 2 goals, Dub FC 1 Goal and 2 points

Team:
L Gillen,
L McCollum, M Harvey, M Smyth, S Doherty,
K Hill, S Murphy, J Quinn, G Dickson, S McCusker, C Kernan

Subs: A Kernan for CKernan (80 mins), J Magee

Rose & Crown Man of the Match: Kristian Hill

Squad

Liam Gillen, Michael Smyth, Shane Murphy, Mark Harvey, Sean Doherty, Liam McCollum, Gareth Dickson, John Quinn, Shane McCusker, Kristian Hill, Cormac Kernan (sub 80 mins)

Subs

Art Kernan (80 mins)

Match Statistics

Goals	Cormac Kernan
Assists	-
Yellow cards	-
Red cards	-
Man of the match	Kristian Hill