Bohemians boss Roddy Collins has not secured the deal he needs to strengthen his side for the UEFA Cup campaign, recently losing the bid to sign Tommy Coyne.

At the beginning of the week, Collins made an appeal asking Scottish players to sign for Bohemians. The side was low on players, Collins said that he was "desperate for midfielders and forwards", for the upcoming matches.

He instantly received a flood of replys, on top of the pile was Coyne. Collins had a chat with the former Celtic man's agent, but negotiations fell through.

"I would have loved to have him on a short term deal. He would have been a real hit with the fans", said Collins, but added "It looks as if he's keen on a longer term contract in Scotland, so it's not to be".

Other deals with players were not finalised either, mostly due to money problems.

As well as the upcoming meeting with Aberdeen, Bohemians have a pre-season friendly with Crusaders, the results which, could be an extra boost to the team, should it be a win.

Although the deal with Coyne fell through, Collins is maintaining a positive outlook on things. "I'm quite happy with the way my squad is shaping up", he stated.

The encounter with Aberdeen takes place at Pittodrie, next Thursday.