- Macdara Ferris
- Mon, Feb 27 2023
Shamrock Rovers are rueing their recent red cards which leave the Hoops with a major defensive headache for their first home game of the season - this Friday's match when the champions take on last year’s runners up Derry City in Tallaght Stadium.
In Drogheda last Friday Pico Lopes was serving the first match of a three game suspension following his straight red card in Sligo Rovers the previous week. Lee Grace and Dan Cleary were sent off late on in Weavers Park for both picking up two yellow cards. The trio will now miss the game against Derry.
Gary O'Neill is expected to continue to play in Rovers' defence as he did in Drogheda with Sean Gannon, who was a second half substitute last Friday, likely to start. But with Sean Hoare struggling with injury, Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley still has one position to fill in his starting XI if he is to continue to play three at the back.
Speaking to extratime.com after the final whistle in Drogheda, Bradley insisted that his team will be “fine” on Friday for the visit of the Candystripes but admitted it will be “tough”.
Bradley said: “We will be fine as we have a strong group. Yes we have some injuries and suspensions but that is fine as we have been there before and dealt with it. It will be tough and it isn't ideal. This is why winning the league is always the hardest as things like this are thrown up and you have to get on with it.
“Gary [O'Neill] is a clever footballer and he can play that position quite comfortably. We gave him a real licence to go and play in midfield [in Drogheda] when we had possession and he did that really well and picked his moments to go in and when not to go in."
Rovers red card record
The red cards have proved crucial to Rovers' league results so far this season as both in Sligo and Drogheda, having led 1-0 going into 89th minute in both matches, they have conceded late goals to cancel out earlier strikes from Graham Burke.
It all means that the Hoops have more red cards (3) than league games played (2), points earned (2) or goals scored (2) this season. They have been shown just one less red card so far this year than they did in their lengthy season in 2022 when they had four red cards in the 54 games played in all competitions.
The red card record from previous seasons under Bradley is: 2020 (2); 2019 (4); 2018 (5) and 2017 (10). Rovers have failed to win a game in the last 18 matches they have received a red card in (12 defeats and six draws).
Bradley didn’t have any complaints about Lee Grace’s sending off for two yellow cards in what was his fifth red card during his time with the club.
The Carrick-on-Suir man was the stand-in skipper on the night deputising for the injured club captain Ronan Finn and the suspended Pico Lopes.
However, the Hoops Head Coach was unhappy with the first yellow card that Dan Cleary was shown by referee Sean Grant for apparent timewasting.
“Dan [Cleary] went to take the ball to play but the timewasting happened well before that and the fourth official [Adriano Reale] is telling the ref it is not Dan. You are asking the ref to listen to the help that is around him and not get caught up in the game and make a silly decision. It was a really poor decision by the official.”
However, Bradley was pleased with the performance of goalscorer Graham Burke who notched his second of the season in Drogheda.
“I thought he was good all night. He hit the post as well and he looked a threat every time he was in the final third. He looks really on his game at the moment so it was a pity, similar to last week, we had to take him off after the [Lee Grace] sending off.”
xG
The Hoops created 21 shooting chances with six on target compared with Drogheda’s six on target from 14 shots with Wyscout noting Rovers’ expected goals (xG) as 2.17 and Drogheda’s xG as 1.33.
United earned a dozen corner with Rovers having 11 and Bradley wasn’t satisfied that they only created the one goal from the series of Jack Byrne corners in the game.
“We must be doing better from those Jack [Byrne] deliveries. Lee [Grace] has a free header six yards out and doesn’t work the goalkeeper. We hit the crossbar from five yads out and Dan [Cleary] had another chance.
"We can't let teams off the hook like that. When the delivery is that good and we are hitting our areas to hit, we have to punish them and be ruthless and we didn't do that. When you aren't ruthless and you leave the game at 1-0, anything can happen.”
Derry City clash
Having lost the season opener President’s Cup 2-0 in Derry, the Hoops welcome the Candystripes to Tallaght on Friday – a venue where Derry City lost 1-0 twice in the league last season.
Rovers have sold out both the main stand and south stand and with the north stand yet to be completed, as of Monday afternoon, they have less than 800 tickets left for sale.
“It is two good teams going head to head in the best stadium and on the best pitch in the country. This is what you want. I’m really looking forward to it. It will be a difficult game but one we will be ready for.”
