Stephen Bradley: ‘We have let a few points go that we shouldn't have’

After 18 games this season the Hoops have hit the half-way point of the league campaign level on points and goals scored with St. Patrick’s Athletic and Sligo Rovers.

There is certainly room for improvement for Shamrock Rovers who sit second in the league behind the Saints who top the table on goals scored.

Over the shortened 18 game COVID-19 season last year, Rovers wrapped up the league title in a mere 14 games securing their 18^th league title without losing a match with a final winning margin of 11 points over Bohs and 22 points over Dundalk.

The Hoops come into Friday’s home game against Dundalk having lost three league games this season.

The recent run of poor results – two wins in their last eight games including three draws and one defeat in their last four matches in Tallaght - is a reflection of an injury crisis and a lack of ruthlessness in not putting opponents away when they were in the ascendancy. 

“We are level at the top and you’d take that right now but we have let a few points go that we shouldn’t have,” was Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley’s assessment of the season so far ahead of Friday’s game in Tallaght – set to be played out in front of 1,000 spectators.

“It is an area we need to improve in the second half of the season.”

Bradley will at least be able to call upon Richie Towell who is now eligible to play now the transfer window is officially open and he could make his first appearance for the Hoops against his former club Dundalk this week.

In addition there are a number of other members of Bradley’s squad available having returned from injury. 

“We should have more options over the next couple of weeks. Richie is a great professional and works really hard so he is ready to go. We will have Dylan Watts, Joey O’Brien and Sean Kavanagh back and that will help the squad.”

Last Friday night, the Hoops were held to a 1-1 draw by Drogheda United. Tim Clancy was able to bring two players – Mark Doyle and Chris Lyons - off the bench who had scored 14 goals between them with Lyons (who lined out with Rovers’ B team in the 2014 First Division) grabbing the equaliser.

The Hoops meanwhile named nine players on the bench but made no substitutions. Their subs included six players 21 or younger and three who had yet to make a first team appearance in the Premier Division.

With Lee Grace carrying an injury, Bradley deployed Aaron Greene in an unorthodox role as left wing-back.

“Obviously we had a lot of young boys on the bench and you need to be really careful when you can use them. Dylan Watts was a sub but he was not quite ready. The worst thing you could do is put him on and he is out for another six weeks.

"Aaron has played on the left before when he was younger and I thought he did really well there.”

Bradley has been left frustrated with the last couple of results at home – drawing 1-1 with both Drogheda United and against Finn Harps. 

“Some of our play in the first half was really high level but the start of the second half we were really sloppy and conceded a terrible penalty.

Our play in the first half and the last 20 minutes was really good but we can’t start the second half like we did. It was the same against Finn Harps and it has cost us in both games.”

Boost for Ruaihdri Higgins as Derry sign Jamie McGonigle from Crusaders https://t.co/jg8p1JvsZ3pic.twitter.com/kTtiB0d5LW

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) June 30, 2021