Perth: Towell is five star!
If you think Richie Towell hit Drogheda United’s bid for survival hard on Friday night then spare a thought for Vinny Perth’s credit card!
The Lilywhites first team coach set Towell a target of 16 goals when they met up for pre-season training at the beginning of the year, with a complimentary night at the five star Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow the prize on offer.
Towell’s four goal haul in the derby took him to a staggering 22 for the season so it was no surprise to see Perth on Twitter after the game asking the Powerscourt if there was a sale on the horizon!
“I set him a challenge and he has responded by kicking the door down. We agreed on the Powerscourt and it looks like he’ll be there for a weekend over Christmas now but if he keeps going it could be Las Vegas or Marbella for a week!,” Perth told the Dundalk Democrat with a smile.
Richie deserves all the credit he gets. He has been the benchmark in this league for the last three seasons, not just in terms of his goals, but his fitness levels, his all round play and how he conducts himself.
“I think there’s still more to come,” added Perth, quite ominously. “He has the full range. I keep asking him to score one with his head so that’s the next challenge. He has the drive to go and accept that so I’m looking forward to seeing him score with a header before the end of the season.”
There is no doubt that the 24-year-old was the headline act on a glorious night for Dundalk but, in Perth’s eyes, the supporting cast were just as good.
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“I think Richie would be the first to say that a lot of his success is down to hard work from his team mates.
“His first goal tonight was an excellent finish but the second one, from Sean Gannon’s cut back, was technically a very good goal. David McMillan’s run to win the penalty for Richie’s second was brilliant, as was John Mountney’s pass for the last goal.
“Richie would be the first to acknowledge that. He has this public persona that he is bigger and better than everybody but he is a real team player and he works hard on the training ground.
“That rubs off on everyone,” continued Perth. “We struggle to get a lot of the players off the training ground most nights.
“They’re always out shooting and practising and we have seen the results of that, especially in recent weeks. The goals have started to come for Ronan Finn in recent weeks and Daryl Horgan is into double figures.”
Towell’s performances this season have been so impressive that many feel he should be given a chance to show what he can do in the international set up.
And, in a week when Irish boss Martin O’Neill named a provisional 40-man squad for the upcoming double header with Poland and Germany, Perth feels that Towell is definitely worth a look — at the very least.
“I’m sure he has been watched and he has been discussed but it is difficult for a home based player to break into the international squad.
“They must do something exceptional but I think Richie has done something exceptional this “season and I think he should be in consideration.
In the past, the things that would have help players back would have been their fitness levels but there’s no way he would be short on that front.
“The international management obviously don’t feel as though this level is good enough to be playing at. That’s up to them and we respect that but we’d like to think that Richie is at least catching their eye.”
