League Preview: Finn Harps -v- Shamrock Rovers

FINN HARPS

Harps welcome the Hoops to Finn Park on Friday night (8pm kick off) with plenty at stake for both teams, even if they have very different priorities. The home side is hoping for maximum points to help with retaining their Premier Division status they earned after a seven year absence last season. Rovers meanwhile are looking for points to ensure at a minimum European qualification for next season.

The sides faced each for the first time this year way back in the second week of the season where, in front of a 2,000 strong home crowd, Harps felt hard done by in losing 1-0 to the Hoops. The Donegal men extracted a modicum of revenge when they came to Tallaght and took away a point in a 1-1 draw last May.

Ollie Horgan’s men are well clear of the automatic relegation spot where Longford Town find themselves trailing Harps by 13 points. The Donegal side are however in one of the relegation play-off places five points clear of Wexford Youths and behind Bray on goal difference.

“Shamrock Rovers are fighting for a European spot and we’re fighting to avoid relegation so it’s a huge match for both teams,” said Horgan speaking to FinnHarps.com ahead of the game.

“Hopefully with our supporters pushing us on we can get a result that will get us back on track to stay in the Premier Division.

“It’s another big game for us and they don't get much bigger than Shamrock Rovers. Under their new manager Stephen Bradley they are on a very good run at the moment, unlike ourselves.”

His team come into the game on the back of four consecutive defeats including a 5-0 hammering at home in the North West derby against Derry City – a result that they will want to put quickly behind them. Due to their early elimination in the FAI Cup and Dundalk’s European adventures, Harps had no match last week and so have been fully focused for the last fortnight on this fixture against the Hoops.

Horgan has a number of injury doubts with Gareth Harkin, Josh Mailey, Ciaran Coll and Dave Scully, who scored against Rovers in Tallaght, all carrying knocks. Due to a long term knee issue Damien McNulty will definitely miss the game and the Harps boss, always a man to talk up the opposition, knows that his team is facing a very strong Rovers squad.

“They have some of the best players in the country with the likes of Killian Brennan, Simon Madden and Gary McCabe and have added some of the top younger players in Brandon Meile, Sean Boyd, Dean Clarke and Trevor Clarke. While it will be a very difficult game for us, it is great to have such a big club with serious quality players coming to play us in Ballybofey.”

SHAMROCK ROVERS

This week marks the fifth anniversary of Shamrock Rovers qualifying for the Europa League, the first League of Ireland club to qualify for the group stages of a European competition. Dundalk, of course, will now play in the Group Stages of the Europa League for this season with the Lilywhites squad having a trio of players who played in the competition with Rovers back in 2011 – Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan Finn and Ciaran Kilduff.

There is just one player from that European squad still at Rovers and that is Gary McCabe. The midfielder is Rovers’ joint top scorer with nine goals. McCabe’s dead ball strikes have been crucial for his team this season – he has scored one free kick and six penalties. One of those spot kicks earned all three points when the Hoops last travelled to Donegal. However, McCabe received a red card when the teams last met in Tallaght.

The Hoops come into the game under manager Stephen Bradley in decent form – three wins and a draw from their last five league fixtures – as they sit fourth in the league table, a win behind Cork City and four points behind second placed Derry City (Cork have played 20 games, Rovers 21 and Derry 23 matches). The Hoops have only lost one league game during Bradley’s time in the dugout. That was a 3-2 defeat to Sligo Rovers a fortnight ago. Last Friday, Rovers qualified for the quarter final of the FAI Cup by comprehensively beating Athlone Town 5-0.

“We’re feeling good and looking forward to each game lately,” said Bradley speaking to shamrockrovers.ie. “We’re playing with confidence the last few weeks and we’re scoring a lot of goals.

“We’re in a very good mood and we’re feeling good, we try to approach games with an attacking intent and we’re ready to go from the first minute of the game. We go out and try score goals, sometimes we get caught out with it and we probably will in the future, but it’s the way we enjoy playing.”

Bradley is likely to go with the 3-5-2 system that he has deployed in their last five games but Sean Heaney is a doubt for the back three as he is facing a late fitness test. The system has allowed the Hoops play two up but their only clean sheet in Bradley’s eight games in charge in all competitions was last week in the cup against the First Division’s bottom team.

All the goals in Athlone came in the second half and they were spread between Brandon Miele, Sean Boyd, James Doona (his first senior goal), Simon Madden and another McCabe penalty. 18-year-old Boyd is in good goalscoring form, finding the back of the net in each of the last three games. Miele is back playing at his best and he is set for his 50^th league appearance for Rovers. Since making his competitive debut for the Hoops in April last season, Miele has not missed any of Rovers’ League, FAI Cup or European games.

“Brandon [Miele] is a very good player, he’s showing his ability the last few weeks and you can see how important he is for us. He could get into any team in the league and it’s rare you see a player like that. He’s probably one of the best young players in the league and you will see him reach the top one day.”  

Referee: Robert Rogers.

MATCH STATS

The 5-0 win over Athlone Town in the FAI Cup was Rovers’ biggest win away from home since beating UCD 6-0 in the third round of the FAI Cup five years ago.

Ryan Curran is Harps’ top scorer with six goals. Gary McCabe and Brandon Miele are Shamrock Rovers’ top goalscorers this season with 9 each (7 in the league).

Friday’s game will be the 69^th meeting of the two clubs, and the 36^th to be played in Finn Park. Harps are looking for their 21^st win over Rovers and the Hoops are seeking their 32^nd victory over Harps.

BETTING

Finn Harps 9/2; Draw 12/5; Shamrock Rovers 4/6.

PREDICTION

2-1 away win.

Finn Harps

Injured: Damien McNulty.

Doubtful: Gareth Harkin, Josh Mailey, Dave Scully, Ciaran Coll.

Suspended: None.

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Luke Byrne, Evan Osam.

Doubtful: Sean Heaney.

Suspended: None.