17.45 3 Apr 2015 -
Referee:
League Preview: Sligo Rovers -v- Bray Wanderers
- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Apr 03 2015
SLIGO ROVERS
Sligo Rovers head into this clash with a sense of déja vu. After a stutter on the opening day of last season to newcomers Athlone, Sligo visited Bray looking for a win to get their season going. All didn't go to plan, Alan Mathews' side emerging 1-0 winners, and the result spelled the beginning of the end for manager Ian Baraclough.
The Sligo fans are a demanding bunch and already there are murmurs of discontent surrounding the performance of Owen Heary, who arrived from Bohemians in the winter and was empowered with the funds to overhaul the squad.
Last Friday's 3-0 loss at champions Dundalk was a low point, less for the scoreline than the manner of the performance, and a convincing display will be needed to address the creeping scepticism surrounding Heary's ability to do the job out west.
“There is pressure on us going into this game,” Heary told the club website, “a different type of pressure to other games as we are expected to win. But there should be pressure on us to win every game. This is a massive game for us.
“It will be hard playing a team who has just lost their coaching staff. We don’t know what team they will have and players will be playing for their future. But they played Cork City last week and the game was 0-0 until after the 80th minute so they will be a difficult team to beat. But that is what we will be looking to do, go out and beat them.”
BRAY WANDERERS
If Sligo thought their season had gotten off to a rocky start, five defeats in five games with not a single goal scored was enough to break the tenuous relationship between Alan Mathews and Bray Wanderers, and he announced his departure, along with that of his backroom team, on Wednesday.
In Mathews' stead comes the club's former U19 coach Maciej Tarnigrodzki, whom Mathews had brought with him from Shelbourne at the start of 2014, who will act as caretaker until a permanent appointment can be made.
Tarnigrodzki doesn't appear to be in the frame for the permanent job, so he effectively has a free shot in Sligo and so is unlikely to be unduly cautious at the Showgrounds. However, with the squad's confidence having taken a battering already, added to the upheaval of the past three days, even a battling loss would represent an improvement.
“We had a fantastic training session with the squad,” said Tarnigrodzki on his appointment. “There was a very positive and professional response from the players and we are all now fully focused on Friday and our main priority is picking up points.
“Our captain David Cassidy, despite injury, even took a small part in training last night and all of the players are fully behind the job at hand. The plan is very simple… we need to score goals, pick up points and move up the table. We have a very talented, young squad who are fully committed to Bray Wanderers. Results will come, we have no doubt.”
Referee: Padraigh Sutton.
MATCH STATS
Sligo Rovers and Bray Wanderers met three times last season, with the Bit o' Red winning two from three. Bray edged the opening encounter at the Carlisle Grounds through Ciaran Byrne, while a convincing 3-0 home for Sligo was followed up by another 1-0 in Bray, Sligo winning this time through the boot of former Seagull Éamon Zayed.
Bray haven't won in their past 19 visits to the Showgrounds, a winless streak dating back 18 years to March 1997.
BETTING
Sligo Rovers 2/7, Bray Wanderers 10/1, Draw 4/1
PREDICTION
Sligo Rovers 3 – 0 Bray Wanderers
Sligo Rovers
Injured: Richard Brush (shoulder), Jeff Henderson (foot).
Doubtful: Steven Beattie (hamstring).
Suspended: None.
Bray Wanderers
Injured: David Cassidy (foot).
Doubtful: David Scully (knee).
Suspended: Graham Kelly.