Hibs friendly too good for Bohs to miss

The Dublin-based outfit jumped at the offer to pay a flying visit to Edinburgh - they will arrive less than five hours before kick-off on Monday and return home on Tuesday morning - to provide Colin Calderwood's players with some much-needed match practice.

Today, Fenlon promised the Easter Road fans his players, pipped for a third-successive Irish title only on goal difference on the final day of the season by Michael O'Neill's Shamrock Rovers, will be out to "give Hibs a game".

Fenlon, a one-time favourite to become Dundee United manager only to see the move collapse as Bohs sought too much in way of compensation, firmly believes Monday's clash will provide both clubs with exactly what they are looking for, with Hibs desperate for action as they face a month without an SPL game while Fenlon fine-tunes his side with their new season barely under way.

After a troubled few months due to financial problems, Fenlon has put together a young team, insisting he'll enjoy the challenge of rebuilding while admitting the match with Hibs will allow a few of them to showcase their talents to a wider audience.

He said: "It's going to be a great experience for our younger players, playing at Easter Road against a side like Hibs.

"We've had a tough off- season due to financial problems and we didn't have a lot of pre-season games because we did not have the players. We lost a lot of players and we've had to take a wee step backwards in order to go forward and steady the club financially. We have a brand new squad and a lot of youngsters who have come through the ranks but also a few with a bit of experience.

"Hopefully, Monday will give both Hibs and ourselves what we are looking for. Hibs have found themselves in a strange situation with no games recently and the international break to come, so I am hoping we can give them a competitive game.

"I don't know Colin Calderwood or Derek Adams personally but I know of them and that they had a sticky start when they came to Hibs. They are reaping the rewards of the work they've obviously put in with some cracking results.

"I'd imagine this break has come at the wrong time - on the run they have been on they would probably have been happy playing twice a week.

"I know Hibs' next match is a big, big game for them, being as it is against Hearts, so they'll want a decent work-out. It is another match for us as we rebuild our team and I'll be doing my best to put out a strong side. We've started our own season well and the fact we play on Friday nights has given us the opportunity to take up Hibs' offer of this match."

While Hibs may not know too much about their guests, Fenlon, of course, is well aware of the talents of Easter Road stars Liam Miller, on-loan Celtic defender Richie Towell and striker Kurtis Byrne, a Bohemians fan from the days when his father Pat played for the club.

He believes his youngsters should be well aware of the fact that so many players from the Republic of Ireland have forged good careers for themselves on this side of the Irish Sea, both north and south of the Border.

He said: "There is perhaps a wee worry that Hibs are too strong for our kids but it's a good way for them to learn. For the players, you never know who is out there and what might come from a match like this."

As to his own future, the 42-year-old said: "Everyone knows the Dundee United story. It was a disappointment at the time that things did not work out. There might be another opportunity, who knows?

"At this stage, the challenge for me is to build a brand new team, to bring young players through, and it is one I am looking forward to."