Shane Keegan on clash with Shamrock Rovers: 'Everybody is chomping at the bit'

On a wet February night in 2020, Jordan Flores waved his left leg at a driven Michael Duffy corner, thundering the most exquisite of volleys into the top corner leaving Tallaght Stadium in stunned silence.

A rip-roaring game ensued, finally bookmarked by a stunning individual effort from Jack Byrne which secured an important three points for Shamrock Rovers on their way to securing a league title.

Now, Byrne and Flores have since departed. Irish international Byrne swapping Ireland for sunny Cyprus, Flores leaving for less sunny Hull.

Fourteen months the sides will meet in Tallaght Stadium. This time there will be no electric atmosphere, no Mick McCarthy or President Michael D. Higgins in attendance but what remains is getting one over on your nemesis.

Dundalk team manager Shane Keegan is under no illusions about the magnitude of this game.

“Everybody is just chomping at the bit. It doesn't matter who the opposition were, but it probably does add extra focus to have Rovers,” Keegan said.

After suffering a jolting defeat to Finn Harps in Oriel Park last Friday, Keegan believes that being up against it brings the best out of the Louth side.

“If you look at it from the time the management structure changed from the middle of last season I think all of our best performances since July or August of last year have been against the better teams when it has really been put up to us...

“Bohs in the quarter final of the Cup, Rovers in the final of the Cup, Sheriff in Europe and even one or two of our group games in Europe as well even though they maybe didn't yield points.

“When we're playing against the really, really top teams that does seem to bring the most out of us and you'd be hoping that will be the case again Friday.



This will be Dundalk’s third league game of the season and shamrock rover’s second after last week’s game away to Derry was postponed.

Already the pressure of a title charge is narrowing the focus, both teams will not want to lose, however Dundalk could make a statement by picking up a win here and not allowing Stephen Bradley’s charges pull ahead early.

“You look at the last two season and, in both seasons, Rovers have streaked ahead in the early stages and thankfully the club was able to put in a monumental effort in 2019 and bring that back around.

“Last year it just wasn't going to happen in a shortened season but more-so because of the relentless pace of Rovers' performances. We just can't put ourselves in a position where we're trying to do it for a third time.

“We need to make sure that after a half dozen games, we're right there in the mix and that there is a very little points gap between us and anybody else unless it is us well ahead of them,” said Keegan.

Dundalk have altered both personnel and systems in their first two games of the season. Keegan, Filippo Giovagnoli and Giuseppe Rossi have not had all their players fit and available just yet, with last week being blighted by international call-ups. The coaching trio are yet to find their best eleven yet.



“I think there is that much quality in the team that there should be maybe 9 names that become almost automatic on your team sheet and six to seven players on any given week battling to nail down those last two spots depending on the shape that you're going with and depending on who the opposition are and depending on who is most in form in previous games and in training sessions.

“I don't think we have to know our strongest 11 but we should have an idea of nine of them and be able to have two more slot into it then depending on what we're trying to do in that game,” said Keegan.

Raivis Jurkovskis has arrived back from Latvia and put himself into the frame for a starting position on Friday. Sonni Nattestad has arrived back from his international duty with the Faroe Islands but he misses the game through suspension picking up a red card against Rovers in the Presidents Cup. Keegan was mightily impressed with Jurkovskis performances against Turkey, the Netherlands and Montenegro.

“Oh my god. He was incredible. We were just joking below saying every single time the ball went out to the winger, he took off on an overlap or an inside lap run that was about 100 metres in length each time and you're screaming at him 'No, put on the brakes please, stop stop, stop' but he was brilliant and his assist for their goal was outstanding, absolutely outstanding and they're using him at left back, they used him at left back all three games actually.”

Dundalk will have Han Jeongwoo available after the South Korean made his debut coming off the bench against Finn Harps last Friday.

Another close season signing should also be available as Norwegian number nine Ole Erik Mitdskogen has recovered from an injury picked up against Bohemians in the opening pre-season friendly. Midtskogen has recovered quicker than first anticipated.

“They've probably got him (Midtskogen) back a week to two weeks ahead of schedule without risking him either. We haven't thrown him back into things because we need him this Friday night.

“We've got him back involved in things because the medical team say he is ready to be back involved in things.

“He has been working really, really hard. I think he found the football in this country very different in terms of the involvement he did have in pre-season and I think the time away from group training has allowed him to focus on specific aspects in the gym that I think will stand to him in terms of being able for the rough and tumble of the style of football here,” said Keegan.

Flying winger Han could provide the secret spark to unlock the Rovers’ defence.

“He (Han) has been flying around the place, so he has. It required a strange set of circumstances for him to have to feature last week but those strange set of circumstances transpired.

“For him to have only had his first session with us on the Thursday and still find himself on the pitch on Friday isn't exactly the ideal way it should work out but now he has got a full week under him he is definitely chomping at the bit to be included this week and I think he did show fleeting parts last Friday night that people are probably already seeing why he is such an addition.”

Whatever happens on Friday night, this game will prove pivotal to who can position themselves to make a title run. Here’s hoping it can be of similar quality to the corresponding fixture last season.

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