WON’T BE LONG UNTIL YOU FEEL THE BYRNE WILL POWER BREAKS IRON

IAN BERMINGHAM believes St Pat’s have the best young players in the league and says lads like Thomas Byrne can drive the Saints back to Europe.

Byrne, 19, was man-of-the-match in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Sligo Rovers at Richmond Park and looks a top prospect.

He scored an injury-time penalty to rubberstamp the points on his first league start for the Saints after putting injury behind him.

The former Brighton youth was signed from Drogheda United over the winter but was sidelined with a metatarsal injury.

Saints skipper Bermingham said: “You can talk about other teams who have good young players, but for me the lads we have here are the best I’ve seen in a long time.

“You saw Thomas Byrne coming in for his first start on Tuesday night – the best player on the pitch by a mile, I thought. Darragh Markey has been brilliant over the last two seasons. Young Jamie (Lennon) only coming in this season has been phenomenal.

“The two lads at centre-half, Kevin Toner and Lee Desmond, they’re only 21 and 23. We’ve serious young players and we’ve got to keep them here for the next couple of years.”

Byrne is slightly built but Saints boss Liam Buckley is convinced he can become a formidable player for St Pat’s.

He said: “He’s lightning. He’s got really quick feet, he scores some wonder goals - he does it in training – I know he can do it in matches.” Rotherham 2

WILL VAULKS’ impressive finish helped Rotherham move to within one victory of an instant return to the Championship as they eased into the Wembley play-off final with Shrewsbury last night.

Midfielder Vaulks

(above) performed his trademark acrobatics after keeping his cool from 10 yards after 63 minutes.

Scunthorpe were up

Scunthorpe

0 against it from the moment Richard Wood rose in a crowded six-yard box to head home a long throw by the busy Vaulks in first-half injury time.

To add to the Iron’s frustrations, Rory Mcardle was sent off for a second booking after 77 minutes.

Scunthorpe were unlucky before then, Ivan Toney seeing Wood clear one effort off the line.

Rotherham win 4-2 on agg