Limerick -v- Shamrock Rovers

• Macdara Ferris
• Tue, Sep 24 2013




LIMERICK

Limerick come into Tuesday’s league game at Thomnad Park against Shamrock Rovers (kick off 7.45pm) after a 17-day break since their last fixture. That was a 0-0 draw at Thomond Park with Airtricity League leaders St. Patrick’s Athletic. They will be hoping to build on that point which came on the back of the Shannonsiders losing their previous four competitive games.

 

Stuart Taylor’s men are coming up against an in-form Shamrock Rovers and speaking to www.limerickfc.ie the manager admits that Rovers are “the one team that can cause problems for anyone. I’m expecting it to be a really, really difficult game – probably one of the most difficult games this season.”

 

Having been in the stands in Tallaght Stadium on Saturday watching the Hoops lift the League Cup, Taylor is well aware of Rovers’ strengths. “I look at Shamrock Rovers and I see a very strong attacking side and a club that have a huge squad of experienced players. The last time we played them at Thomond Park I looked around at their bench and thought it was incredibly strong.”

 

“That’s something that we don’t have at this moment in time, to match them individually, but certainly their starting XI and my starting XI, I’m more than delighted with mine. With the team spirit that we’ve got and the desire that we have, and players wanting to do well – I would have that over and above what their motivation is.

 

“But the two games that we’ve played them, we went close here and we also went close up there where we could easily have been 2-0 up in 20 minutes. But we didn’t take our chances. We drew a good save from their goalkeeper and ended up losing the game 1-0, where we switched off at a set-piece. There wasn’t really much in the game, so we can take confidence out of that.

 

“It’s up to us to make Thomond Park a fortress. Teams certainly do get a lift coming to us because of the surface and stadium but we’ve got to make sure that it’s an intimidating place for teams to come to.”

 

Limerick currently lie eighth in the table three points behind both Drogheda United and Cork City. Those two sides meet at Hunky Dorys Park on Tuesday. The game against Rovers is Limerick’s first of three matches in just seven days. They travel to second placed Dundalk on Friday before hosting Bohemians in Limerick the following Monday.

 

SHAMROCK ROVERS

The Hoops travel to Thomond Park on Tuesday having claimed their second piece of silverware of the season. They added the EA Sports Cup to the Setanta Sports Cup they won earlier in 2013. Rovers became only the second ever club to claim a double of the League Cup and All Ireland competition in one season. The victory ended a 37 year wait to claim the trophy for only the second time.

 

Trevor Croly’s men are three wins away from an unprecedented cup quadruple as they have an FAI Cup semi-final against Sligo to come in early next month plus a Leinster Senior Cup Final against St. Pat’s on 20 October to follow. However, it is league matters that the Hoops must concentrate on this week. They currently lie in fifth placed and have realistic ambitions of overhauling Derry City who sit above them in the table. If they can get a win in Limerick, they will move to just three points behind the Candystripes who they face later in the season.

 

“It was great to win the league cup on Saturday,” said Shamrock Rovers manager Trevor Croly. “But it is very important that we put that to the back of our minds now and focus on going to Limerick and doing our best to get the three points. I know Limerick will be keen to do the same, but we will be going looking for the win.”

 

On Friday, Rovers play Drogheda United in Tallaght, the team they beat 2-0 last Saturday in the EA Sports Cup final. Goals in either half from in-form Gary McCabe and Thomas Stewart proved the difference on the day. That victory means that Rovers travel to Limerick with six consecutive wins in a row, including 2-1 wins over both Shelbourne and Cork City in their last two league outings.

 

Referee: Graham Kelly

 

MATCH STATS

Limerick have kept back-to-back clean-sheets in the league just once this season and that was back in April when they followed their 4-0 win in Bray with a 0-0 stalemate against Shelbourne in Thomond.

 

Craig Curran and Axel Bossekota are top scorers for Limerick in the league with seven goals each. Ronan Finn is the Shamrock Rovers top goalscorer so far this season with eight league goals and 12 in all competitions. Gary McCabe is three behind that overall total having scored four goals in the last four competitive games for the Hoops.

 

The sides have met twice this season, both in the league. Back in April, the teams played out a 1-1 draw at Thomond Park with Sean O’Connor opening the scoring for the visitors before Craig Curran levelled for the home team. Karl Sheppard scored the only goal of the game to earn Rovers a win in June at Tallaght Stadium. 

 

BETTING

Limerick 3/1; Draw 5/2; Shamrock Rovers 5/6.

 

PREDICTION

Away win 2-0.

 

Limerick

Injured: Stephen McGann, Shane Tracy.

Doubtful: Brian O’Callaghan

Suspended: Joe Gamble, Shaun Kelly.

 

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Ronan Finn, Pat Sullivan, Richie Ryan, Karl Sheppard.

Suspended: Ken Oman, Conor Powell.