Harney considers options as St Pat's future looks uncertain
by Kevin O'Neill Updated: Wednesday, 2nd November, 2011 5:30pm
TWO Athlone youngsters plying their trade in the Airtricity Premier Division have this week spoken to the Westmeath Independent about the 2011 season and their future plans.
Robbie Benson, who made a great impact with Athlone Town before moving to UCD midway through the 2010 season, has enjoyed his debut season with UCD, helping the College outfit consolidate top-flight status for another campaign.
And along the way, the Coosan native managed to notch some excellent goals, including a couple of strikes against eventual champions Shamrock Rovers. Benson also netted twice in the final game of the season last weekend, against Sligo Rovers.
Elsewhere, fellow Athlone native Neil Harney is set to consider his options carefully over the coming months, as his future with St Patrick's Athletic comes under scrutiny.
Harney, 20, has spent the past two seasons with the Inchicore outfit, and last month played the full 90 minutes as the Richmond Park club beat Bohemians in the Leinster Senior Cup final.
The defender, from Monksland, also scored for St Pat's in the quarter-finals of the EA Sports League Cup against Cork City, but is keen to play more first-team football after making only six league appearances in the 2011 season.
Harney hasn't ruled out the possibility of turning out for his home-town team next season, but is more likely to continue his career in the Premier Division.
Harney said: "It's been a frustrating season for me. At one point, Ian Bermingham (St Pat's regular left-back) was unavailable, so Derek Pender, the normal right-back, shuffled across to left-back, and I got in on the right-side of defence. I played six games in a row, and everything was going well, but soon after I found myself on the bench again. I kept plugging away but unfortunately couldn't get back in the side. I've always been involved in the match-day squads, and travelled to Iceland and Kazakhstan in the Europa League qualifying rounds, which were great experiences. But at the end of the day, I want to play first-team football, and I'll have to consider that now."
Harney was offered the opportunity to join First Division Monaghan Utd on loan during the campaign, but decided against that option.
If he remains at St Pat's, or signs for another Premier Division club, and still finds first-team action limited, the ex-Belvedere schoolboy would consider joining Athlone on loan, he said.
"There's always lots of changes at clubs between the end of one season and the start of another, so I'll take my time. I don't know whether St Pat's want to retain me, but my contract is up and I'm a free agent, so I can talk to other clubs. I'll listen to anybody that wants to talk, but I won't rush into anything. If things were right at Athlone Town, I'd consider it," said the Athlone IT student, who played local schoolboy football for both St Coman's and St Joseph's.
Benson, meanwhile, a former Ireland underage star, took time to find his feet at UCD, after injury hindered his early progress at the club. A groin problem meant Benson missed the entire pre-season programme, and eight months of football in total, so it was always going to be a gradual progression at UCD.
"It took me a while to build up proper match fitness when I eventually got back from injury, but I broke into the team and shortly afterwards scored on consecutive weekends against Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers. That helped me get a good run of games, but the manager then changed things after we suffered a heavy defeat to Derry City in the Brandywell (7-0 in May)," Robbie explained.
However, the former St Francis schoolboy wasn't long breaking back in the side, and again netted against Shamrock Rovers early last week, as Rovers beat UCD 2-1 to clinch the Premier Division title.
Studying Chemistry and Mathematics, as part of a four-year degree course in UCD, Benson is on a soccer scholarship at the college, and says he's committed to the club for another three seasons.
"UCD gave me a great opportunity and I hope to repay them over the next few seasons," said Benson, who was recently joined at UCD by fellow Athlone native Robbie Murray, who featured for Athlone's first-team this season.
