Trials and Tribulations

Behind-closed-doors friendlies are becoming more common in the League of Ireland along with the prevalence of trialists on preseason teamsheets. Managers will, naturally, be keen to keep their cards close to their chest, but a balance needs to be struck with the enthusiasm of fans - who live and breathe their club's fortunes - to watch and learn about their team’s potential heading into the new season, especially, as in Waterford’s case this year, when there is a new manager and a complete overhaul of the playing personnel. 

There are legitimate reasons to be alert and guarded about tactics and recruitment. We can recall, back in March 2023, when Waterford had to eject Galway United’s Opposition Analyst from a first team training session at SETU Arena in Carriganore. Waterford released a statement saying he had been discovered filming the session and was removed, with the incident being reported to the FAI. Ironically, John Caulfield’s Galway have taken preseason secrecy to a farcical degree with their teamsheets this month. Only ten players from a possible thirty-three have been named in their three starting line-ups to date. Galway fans were left in disbelief with their team to play Treaty United containing eleven trialists (see below). For the record, they won 2-0 with the goals coming from Trialist 11 and Trialist 6. 

 

Galway United's comical teamsheet from earlier this month

Blues fans were disappointed to learn that Friday’s friendly clash with Wexford had been switched from an open viewing at Ferrycarrig Park to a behind-closed-doors affair in Ben Wadding Park, Waterford. This was the fourth of the team’s five preseason friendlies to date to be off limits to fans. The only opportunity for Blues fans to see the first team since November’s playoff final was the game in St Colman’s Park all the way down in Cobh. The number of fans who took the 150-mile round trip just went to show the appetite Waterford supporters have for watching their team and that should be rewarded. There will doubtless be a call for as many fans as possible to come out to the RSC on Friday evening for the final friendly match to boost the club’s coffers going into the season and, again, to fill the ground for the league opener a week later. Hopefully, the normal excitement won’t be tempered by the exclusion of fans through preseason. 

Jon Daly has named six trialists in his line-ups over the five preseason challenge matches to date. One was Jordan Faria, but he was announced as signed prior to the Bray game so that would just seem to have been a waiting period for registration or international clearance. Ex-Liverpool defender Lee Jonas played at the Carlisle Grounds and in Cobh before returning to the UK. Norwegian winger Jorgen Voilas was listed as a trialist too when he played in those first two matches before being unveiled as a new signing this week. Zay Asamoah, younger brother of former Blues loanee Maleace, featured in the first four friendlies, wearing number 15, but was absent on Friday. That could be interpreted as him leaving, or going home to pack and finalise a transfer, or any number of other reasons. 

 

The tall figure of Alec Vinci behind Niall O'Keeffe at Lakewood AFC this month

Another who featured prominently in recent games was Australian midfielder Alec Vinci. He started the game against Cork City in Ballincollig and came off the bench on Tuesday against Kerry in Connors Park. A 6’1” defensive midfielder, Vinci began with Central Coast Mariners in New South Wales before moving to Germany in 2020 where he first played in the fifth and sixth tiers with BC Viktoria Glesch-Paffendorf. He spent a season in the fourth tier with Wegberg-Beeck in 2023/24 and then captained Siegburger SV in the Mittelrheinliga (fourth tier). According to his manager in Germany, Vinci almost moved to Ireland last summer. Alexander Otto of Siegburg told media, “With Alec, the visa gods were on our side. It was agreed and clear in the summer that he would leave us for the professional ranks. He had an offer from the Irish Premier League, but, very frustratingly for him, his visa didn’t work out.”

Only one trialist took the field on Friday in Ben Wadding Park and that was midfielder Danny McGrath. The Balbriggan man, who turns 20 on Wednesday, was part of the Ireland Under-17 squad (with Jason Healy and Romeo Akachukwu) that reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 European Championships. A highly-regarded prospect, he moved from Bohemians’ academy to Lommel in September of that year for an undisclosed fee. The Belgians are one of the feeder clubs in the Manchester City group and have huge pulling power. McGrath developed at the Lommel academy and went on to play six times in the Challenger Pro League (Belgian second division) and assisted one goal while he also picked up Ireland’s Under-18 Player of the Year award in 2024. 

 

Danny McGrath in action for Lommel SK in Belgium

Danny left Belgium by mutual consent last July and spent time on trial at Brentford, for whom the new Head of Recruitment for the Fleetwood Group, Luke Joyce, was working. He has kept his options open and was linked with a move back to continental Europe, but was spotted in Poleberry on Friday, possibly influenced by having a grandmother from Waterford. McGrath is an interesting character who got married earlier this month. He is a fluent Portuguese speaker thanks to his Brazilian mother and is eligible to represent any of Ireland, Brazil, England or Japan at international level. 

A deep-lying midfielder, he thrives on picking the ball up from the defence, turning and finding creative passes. While not physically imposing at approximately 5’7”, Danny is an intelligent, composed player who frightens opponents with incisive passes through the lines and is a skilful ball-carrier. He wore the number six jersey for Waterford against Wexford and was reported to have acquitted himself well as a second half substitute. Whether he will come to an agreement with the club and be added to Jon Daly’s squad will be seen in time. The jury is out.