Doolin takes over at UCD

Two years after taking over the managerial reigns at UCD, Martin Moran will make way for Paul Doolin to take control of the Premier Division club later this week.

The Dublin-based solicitor, who won an FAI Cup winner's medal with the team in 1984, said yesterday he can no longer give the job the commitment required.

"This isn't connected with Friday's result (the 6-0 defeat against Bohemians), I can assure you of that," said Moran yesterday. "I weighed things up during the summer and realised I simply wasn't going to have the time required to do the job properly. It was with that in mind that Paul was brought in in the first place."

Moran will take charge for the last time when St Patrick's Athletic visit Belfield Park on Thursday night. "After that," he says, "Paul will be in charge and I'm sure that with Theo Dunne's support he'll do a terrific job.

" He's never been a manager before and I wanted to be around to help him settle into the role for a while but I interviewed for the position during the summer and I felt he was the right man to take over from the first time I talked to him. After the short time I have been working with him I am more convinced of it than ever."

During his time in charge, Moran has enjoyed something of a rollercoaster ride with the club qualifying for Europe for the first time since winning the cup during his first season in charge and then, last year, just avoiding relegation in the play-offs.

As he leaves, though, Moran says that he is happy with the progress made in the aftermath of Dr Tony O'Neill's sudden death. "A lot of people predicted our demise after the Doc died but the fact is we're still in the Premier Division and I'm confident that's where we're staying.

Doolin, then, will take over from next week when the task will be to build on a couple of decent results from the club's opening two games of the new campaign while attempting to address some of the weaknesses exposed during last Friday night's hammering.

Derry City, meanwhile, have confirmed highly-rated central defender Darren Kelly has signed a three-year extension to his contract with the Brandywell club.

The under-21 Northern Ireland international was yesterday described as "the best central defender in the country," by City boss Kevin Mahon.

Kelly had been under contract until the end of the season but the club, stung by the departure of Peter Hutton to Shelbourne on a free transfer during the summer, have now tied him up until 2005.