Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Sporting Fingal -v- Shamrock Rovers
- Extratime Team
- Mon, Apr 05 2010
Having both played out scoreless draws on Friday, Sporting Fingal and Shamrock Rovers will be looking to go one step better when they clash in the Morton Stadium on Easter Monday (kick-off 3pm).
Sporting Fingal picked up a point away to St. Pats and manager Liam Buckley was pleased with how is team played, albeit disappointed to have not won.
“To come away from Inchicore on Friday feeling disappointed not have won the game is testament to how well the lads played. A point at the League leaders is a decent return but we created the better chances and need to be more clinical in that final third of the pitch.”
Despite Shamrock Rovers slow start to the season, Buckley is fully aware of their strength and depth.
“Michael O’Neill has a squad packed full of quality as was shown in Friday’s game against UCD when experienced players such as Ollie Cahill and Danny Murphy only made the substitute’s bench.
“They’ve added more strength recently by signing Thomas Stewart, Robert Bayly and Chris Turner. We can expect a tough challenge from the Hoops.”
On the injury front, Keith Quinn suffered the knock late on in Friday’s draw and will undergo a pre-match fitness test. Lorcan Fitzgerald remains out with a fractured cheekbone but midfielder Ronan Finn, whose ever-present run in the side for League matches was halted for the Inchicore stalemate due to flu, is available.
Manager Liam Buckley admitted he’s delighted to have a strong squad to choose from just three days after visiting the League leaders.
He said: “It’s a nice feeling to be coming into this game with only the one or two injury concerns. Midweek games are going to become the norm as we progress through the campaign squad and it’s an important feature to keep the players fully fit in order to meet those demands.
Shamrock Rovers boss Michael O’Neill has seen his side win only one game in five and knows his side must improve fast.
"It was disappointing to go another home game without a win, we’re not playing anywhere near the level we'd like to be - but there were some positives from the game.
We kept a clean sheet for the second week in a row, we didn't lose the game, and we continue to work on instilling confidence individually and collectively throughout the squad."
In team news, Gary Twigg (calf), Dessie Baker (broken arm), Pat Sullivan (knee), Stephen Bradley (wrist) and Paddy Kavanagh (hamstring) remain sidelined.
"It's as we were for Friday's game against UCD," says the Hoops' boss, "the only difference is that Chris Turner is available after serving a suspension."
"Chris is really looking forward to playing for Shamrock Rovers. He's had a tough time of it and had to go through a tough pre-season on his own, which can't have been easy.
"But now it's all over and done with, he's our player now and it'll be refreshing for him to get out on the pitch and show the supporters what he's capable of doing."
Venue: Morton Stadium
Sporting Fingal
Injured: Lorcan Fitzgerald
Doubtful: Keith Quinn.
Suspended: None.
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Gary Twigg (calf), Dessie Baker (broken arm), Pat Sullivan (knee), Stephen Bradley (wrist) and Paddy Kavanagh (hamstring).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Extratime.ie prediction: Sporting Fingal 2-2 Shamrock Rovers
