Just a matter of weeks after stepping up to senior football, Shamrock Rovers's teenage winger Shane Robinson has been named as the Opel/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland Player of the Month for August.

The 18-year-old from Waterford joined the Dublin club during the summer and has made an immediate impact for Damien Richardson, adding pace down the right flank and showing a keen eye for goal.

"I'm delighted with the way things have gone since I arrived here," said Robinson after scoring in Sunday's 3-1 defeat of Bohemians. "I came here expecting to settle down into the reserves and wait for my chance, but it's all happened way faster for me than I could have imagined. To win this award as well is really fantastic."

St Patrick's Athletic, meanwhile, have become the latest of the big Dublin clubs to join forces with FAS to run a scheme to help young players develop their skills and improve their employment prospects.

The two organisations confirmed yesterday that they are in the final stages of organising the course which is to be run in Leixlip and will kick off within the next couple of weeks. In all, 24 places are available for unemployed youths between 16 and 25 years of age.

Derry City striker Liam Coyle has apologised to fans for his late sending-off against Drogheda United last Sunday. The 31-year-old was shown the red card for appearing to headbutt Drogheda's Alan Murphy in the 93rd minute of the game, but claims that the referee was unaware of a preceding incident which he declined to disclose.