Shelbourne optimistic

Shelbourne manager Damien Richardson is still waiting to make a final decision on the fitness of a number of key players ahead of this evening's European Cup Winners' Cup match against Kilmarnock at Tolka Park - one the Irish club's biggest matches in recent years.

Striking partners Stephen Geoghegan and Dessie Baker are both still doubtful for the game although Richardson remains optimistic about being able to throw both of them into action for the second leg clash against the Scots who lead 2-1 after an enthralling encounter at Rugby Park.

In that game Baker's solo runs against a sluggish Kilmarnock defence repeatedly caused problems for the home side and, in need of a goal this evening if their magnificent performance in Scotland is not to be entirely wasted, the Dubliners will be anxious to give the former Manchester United player some company up front in a 44-2 formation.

"It's a difficult situation," says Richardson, "because Stephen is probably only 70-75 per cent fit again but he has been doing so well in training that it's very tempting to stick him in.

"Dessie took a knock on the ankle in the game against Shamrock Rovers but he did very well in the first match, and all through pre-season, and so I'll leave it right up until just before the game if necessary to give him the opportunity of starting."

Ideally Richardson, would like to play both against a side whose movement of the ball around the pitch and ability to switch the direction of play are both excellent but whose defence, particularly over the past couple of weeks, has a tendency to look rather flatfooted.

"The last two games were certainly very disappointing," says manager Bobby Williamson of a period in which his side have suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Stirling Albion and Hibernian.

Between the two games the Scottish Cup holders conceded 10 goals and Williamson is well aware of the need for his men to tighten things up against Shelbourne this evening.

He points out that his Yugoslavian international goalkeeper, Dragoje Lekovic, will be back for this game after returning from international duty.

"It will be a difficult game but I would hope for better performances than in those two games," says Williamson.

"Shelbourne impressed me in the first game and we will be wary of them this time but we tend to do well against teams that try to play football against us, teams that come forward and attack and so I would be hopeful of doing enough in this game to go through."

One man who would appear to have played his way into the Scottish side with his performance at Rugby Park is Pat Nevin. The former Chelsea and Everton winger, who is 34 next week, was central to Kilmarnock's late rally two weeks ago when he gave a tiring Declan Geoghegan all sorts of problems.

If he can reproduce that sort of form from the start this evening then the former Scottish international along with Alex Burke on the left will be a constant threat to the Dubliners as they look to score the solitary goal that they require.

Paul Wright, the man who scored both of the Scots' goals in the first leg, should also be at the heart of that attacking strategy this evening but Williamson must wait until this afternoon to see if the 32-year-old, the club's top scorer last season with 18 league and cup goals, has recovered sufficiently from a shoulder injury to start. His absence would be a considerable blow for the Scots for in the first leg he showed himself to be well capable of dropping back deep and co-ordinating the attack from around the halfway line.