Big dilemma for

RIVALS on one day . . . team mates the next, that was the story of two promising young players in the summer of 1992.

The pair are (on left) David Coleman and Alan Doherty.

In that summer they were starting to make their mark with Dundalk, but this picture was taken as part of a preview for the Louth SFC semi-final between Gaels and holders of the Joe Ward Cup, St. Mary’s.

Both young stars faced a major dilemma for they were both included in the Dundalk panel by manager, Turlough O’Connor for the opening Premier Division match against St. Patrick’s Athletic and days later they were due to line out on opposing sides in the SFC semi-final in Knockbridge.

Both had been in the Dundalk panel for the pre-season games and both got the thrill of taking the field against Roy Keane when he played with Nottingham Forest in a pre-season game.

In the week before the SFC semi-final both players made it clear that their preference was to play with their clubs, but they accepted the final decision would be made by Turlough O’Connor.

The Dundalk manager said that he had some sympathy for the players, but he made the point that if local players wanted to make the breakthrough with Dundalk they had to give full commitment to the club.

O’Connor spoke in the same week that he caused some concern locally by releasing two Dundalk-born players, Paul Johnston to Derry City and Brendan O’Callaghan to Cobh Ramblers.

This decision by the manager was weighing heavily on David Coleman and Alan Doherty in the week of the semi-final, with 19-year-old Doherty saying “I want to make a career for myself in soccer, but I also want to win a Louth senior medal with my local club. Some may find playing both codes difficult, but Marys have always given me their full backing, and I have no problem playing both codes”.

An added problem for David Coleman in facing Marys came about