League Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Sligo Rovers

SHAMROCK ROVERS

The Hoops play their first Friday night home fixture for three and a half months when they take on Sligo Rovers under the watch of the RTÉ cameras (kick-off 7.45pm).

Their European exploits are the reason for that but they now face into five league matches in 15 days before the month is out but with Europe on their mind on two fronts.

There is the Conference League games to come beginning in the first week of October but they are also looking to finish in the European spots as making it five in a row looks beyond their reach.

Their Sunday morning defeat to Bohs last time out put pay to any more title talk as they are now 14 points behind the league leaders (albeit with two games in hand).

It is the FAI Cup quarter-final weekend but the Hoops are playing league football – and their appeal over Dawson Devoy’s appearance for Bohs when knocking Rovers out of the cup failed on Thursday evening. There are four First Division clubs in the quarters finals and either Shels or Derry City (who sit second in the table) will exit this weekend.

That all means that fourth place might night be the route to Europe that is usually is. Qualification for the lucrative continental competition will only occur for the fourth placed team if the FAI Cup winner comes from the top three.

The Hoops sit in sixth place four points off third spot which is held by the visitors on Friday although Stephen Bradley’s side do have two games on the Bit O’ Red.

“There are a lot of points to play for,” said Bradley when speaking to shamrockrovers.ie. “We have to focus on what’s in front of us, Sligo at home this week and try and get three points. I felt in our last game against Bohs, we should’ve put the game to bed early and we didn’t.

"We weren’t ruthless enough so if we get those opportunities tomorrow, we must make sure that we take them. If you’re not ruthless, this league is unforgiving and it can come back and bite you, which we found out two weeks ago (against Bohemians).

This is the fourth meeting of the sides this season with honours even so far. The Hoops won 3-0 in Tallaght, before a scoreless draw in Sligo, with the most recent win being for the Bit O’Red 2-0 in the Showgrounds.

“We know Sligo are having a good season, we know they’ll come with a gameplan to hurt us with the pace they have. We know Simon Power first-hand and his pace and what he can do so we must respect what Sligo are good at but also impose what we’re really good at.

"When we get our opportunities, which I’ve no doubt we will, we need to be ruthless and take them.

“You look across their front line, those four are really dangerous, you see that in every Sligo game you watch. We know in this league, every game is tough so Friday will be no different. We need to be at our very best to win the game.”

SLIGO ROVERS

The Bit O’ Red’s win in Sligo last time out against the Hoops was their first victory over the team playing out of Tallaght in 13 matches dating back to May 2021. Simon Power was the difference in that game in late June scoring a brace against his former club.

Manager John Russell will be without his skipper Niall Morahan for this one as the Leitrim man misses out through suspension on the back of too many yellow cards. The team come into the game on the back of the win over Waterford before last week’s international break.

“The players and staff have been fully focused the past two weeks and we’re really looking forward to facing Shamrock Rovers,” said Russell speaking to his club’s media team as their team target European football.

With the top two in weekend cup action, the Bit O’ Red could move within three points of second placed Derry City if they can make it back-to-back wins over Shamrock Rovers something they haven’t done since 2013.

“We’ve continued to improve as the season has gone on and now we find ourselves at the business end of the year where everyone has something to play for.

"That makes for an interesting and intense finish to the season where each team is doing all they can to pick up as many points as possible, which everyone wants to see. 

“Nobody has to remind us how big of a challenge it is to go to Tallaght. But the surface down there is always in top shape and that suits our style of play. It’s vital we play to our strengths for this one and impose ourselves on the game from early on.”

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan

MATCH STATS

Prior to Sligo Rovers’ win last time out, the previous dozen games between the sides saw the Hoops win eight with the remaining four games ending in draws.

Former Sligo Rovers striker Johnny Kenny is top scorer for the Hoops in the league with 10 goals. Ellis Chapman is leading the goal chart for the Bit O’ Red with eight.

PREDICTION

2 – 1 home win 

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Rory Gaffney, Aaron Greene, Aaron McEneff 

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Lee Grace

Sligo Rovers

Injured: Stefan Radosavljevic, John Mahon, Conor Reynolds 

Doubtful: Stephen Mallon 

Suspended: Niall Morahan

Shamrock Rovers confirm Conference League season ticket prices https://t.co/1ytiGSm7R0pic.twitter.com/7Uf5g0IOqT

— extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) September 12, 2024