Pat's beef up squad with new signings

St Patrick's Athletic manager Liam Buckley. Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE

Aidan Fitzmaurice

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC have made a statement of intent about their plans to retain their Premier Division title with three league-winning players signed by boss Liam Buckley.

Pat's will revamp their squad for the 2014 season, with some departures already as Conor Kenna (to Shamrock Rovers) and Sean Gannon (to Dundalk) have already left, while key striker Anto Flood has told the club he plans to move to Australia and won't be at Richmond Park next season.

But boss Buckley has moved to strengthen the squad as the trio of Ken Oman, Conor McCormack and Lee Lynch have all arrived. McCormack and Oman won league titles at Shamrock Rovers, Oman was also a league winner at Bohemians, and the capture of Oman will fill the gap left by Kenna's departure.

But Lynch also has a league medal from his time at Sligo Rovers and the three new faces will boost the Saints' ambitions for next season.

Buckley has also done more work with the existing squad as Ger O'Brien, Ian Bermingham, Kenny Browne, Chris Fagan and Killian Brennan all re-signed, while promising youngsters Sean Hoare and Peter Durrad also committed to new deals.

The decision by Bermingham to re-sign is good news for St Pat's as he had been linked with a move to Rovers.

The Saints await news on Christopher Forrester, as the midfielder is on trial at Bristol City.