John Gill watched his side net a welcome win over top flight opposition at Oriel Park on Tuesday night in their second pre-season match of 2008, however, afterwards, the manager insisted that, while the victory was obviously pleasing, there was still a long way to go before his squad is at where he wants. A one-goal win over Saint Patrick’s Athletic confirmed the promise that the new-look Lilywhites showed against Premier League champions, Drogheda United last week, and sends the border club into Thursday’s fixture with Bray Wanderers on a high.
 
Gill, however, was not getting carried away. “It’s pleasing,” he told dundalkfc.com, “but it’s still early days - I remember we played Derry in the first friendly here last year and beat them 4-0. This is a difficult place to come for any team. It’s part of pre-season, Johnny (McDonnell) is looking at a few players, the same as me - you’re trying to bed in players. The most pleasing thing was our work ethic, and - I’ve gone on record to say this already - this is the most focussed and the fittest bunch of players that I’ve had, and I think that showed tonight. I know they had a lot of names not playing but they had a lot of quality as well, but when you consider who we didn’t have playing - Ben Whelehan, Paul Crowley, Trevor Vaughan, Aidan Lynch, Paul Shiels, Robbie Martin, Chris Bennion - I’m thrilled with what I got tonight.
 
“In terms of defensive shape, we were absolutely excellent. I thought on the counter, we were dangerous all the time, I thought our retention of the ball was superb, and overall, I’m very, very happy. But, in the context of things, it’s still only pre-season and we’re still working towards 8 March. Winning football matches does give you confidence and winning against supposedly better opposition gives you confidence, but there’s nothing at stake tonight - there’s no money on the table and there was no three points at stake, but as regards where we want to get to, it’s another huge step in the right direction.”
 
Speaking on how he felt the First Division season, which kicks off in just over three weeks, would go, Gill expects that there will be a number of challengers for the one and only promotion place. “It will be very, very tricky,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a very, very tough league. Too many people are again looking at the usual suspects - ourselves and Shelbourne. I disagree - if you go back to what I said at the launch last year, I tipped Cobh as well. I think this year, Sporting Fingal are going to be a dark horse, I think Longford, as the season goes on, will come very, very good, I think Monaghan and Kildare will have improved, and Waterford are very, very strong - Gareth (Cronin) is after adding quality players. So, I think it’s going to be an absolutely fantastic league. But we can only look at ourselves, and I’ve said it before, that I think we’re in the best shape that we’ve ever been here.”

Meanwhile, Gill has praised the Football Association of Ireland on the appointment of Italian legend Giovanni Trapattoni as manager of the national team. The 68-year-old confirmed on Wednesday morning that he had agreed a deal to take over the Republic of Ireland when his current contract with Austrian side, Red Bull Salzburg runs out, and Gill feels that the arrival of the colourful Cusano Milanino-born boss is a major boost to the country.
 
“He’s my choice,” Gill told dundalkfc.com. “I know a lot of people are saying about language - listen, you only have to look at the guy’s CV. He could be talking to a group of Martians and he’d still get them to play football and get them organised. From reading some of our players’ comments in the papers at the weekend, there’s a couple of them I feel have got a little bit above their station, and I think this man won’t suffer fools gladly. As a football manager, whether you’re Giovanni Trapattoni or whether you’re John Gill, unless you’ve got control and the respect of the players, you’ll run into trouble. I think that this man will make an immediate impact, and I think that anybody that doesn’t respect him will be left behind. I think that the way he organises and sets his teams out, it’s a massive, massive boost for us.
 
“In fairness to them, the FAI have taken their time. Some people will say they stumbled upon it by chance, but who cares how they stumbled upon it. I think it’s a massive boost for everybody.”