Given the form of the sides involved it wouldn't seem unreasonable for Pat Dolan to be aiming to put the Eircom-sponsored League Cup beyond fellow finalists UCD in the first leg this evening at Richmond Park (7.45). The St Patrick's manager, however, insists that he can't remember a game between the two sides that was decided by more than a goal and so, in the circumstances, he says, a lead of one after tonight will do him.

The Inchicore club have a full squad but Dolan admits to some selection problems, not least at the heart of his defence where he must choose between Stephen McGuinness, who did well in Kilkenny on Saturday, and Darren Maguire, who had not done much wrong before that.

For the students, meanwhile, there are the usual selection of long-term absentees to be dealt with but after a decent performance on Sunday at Santry Martin Moran does at least have the same squad to pick from and may start with the same team.

Both managers insisted yesterday that winning the cup for a first time would mean a great deal to their clubs but for UCD, without a national trophy since 1984, the opportunity to set their league troubles aside for the evening and play for a piece of silverware is obviously particularly welcome.

There is, concedes the club's skipper, Tony McDonnell, still an air of disbelief around the first team with its current position in the championship. Having finished last season with a remarkable run of form to clinch a place in Europe the players were bursting with confidence when they returned after the break.

"Unfortunately it went beyond confidence," says McDonnell adding "there was a lot of complacency with everyone, myself included, thinking that we were going to pick up where we left off but it hasn't turned out anything like that." Confidence, says the 24-yearold, is now what is desperately lacking and a win in this competition could provide the sort of morale booster that is desperately needed in others.

"The next few weeks," observes Martin Moran, "could turn a very poor season into what is, by our standards, a pretty good one."

This evening, though important in terms of kick-starting a poor season, is also precious in its own right to players who are not accustomed to winning finals of any description.

A couple of Leinster Cup wins represent the highlight of his club career to date and, he says, "it would be a great thrill for me personally to be lifting a cup above my head back in Belfield."