19.45 12 Aug 2016 -
Referee: Graham Kelly
League Preview: Sligo Rovers -v- Shamrock Rovers
- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Aug 12 2016
SLIGO ROVERS
Sligo Rovers will look to continue a rich vein of form as they welcome Shamrock Rovers to the Showgrounds on Friday night.
Six games unbeaten – including wins over St Patrick's Athletic, Wexford Youths and Cork City – has seen Dave Robertson's side surge up the table into fifth position, five points behind tonight's visitors.
The surprise victory over second-placed Cork showed the confidence and belief with which the Bit o' Red are playing with after a shaky start to the season, and a repeat of the 3-0 defeat in Tallaght back in May is unlikely.
“What we have done is learned to be more resilient,” Robertson told the club's website.
“We have developed and grown as a team in that respect. As a squad we are playing wiser. Overall we have become better at adapting to situations as they come up in games.
“We will be fighting hard. We are six games unbeaten since the break and haven’t lost at home since the game with Shamrock Rovers in March and rest assured we will be fighting tooth and nail and battling to maintain that.”
Robertson has new signings Achille Campion and Pat McCann available for selection, but Regan Donelon continues to miss out with a hamstring injury.
SHAMROCK ROVERS
Shamrock Rovers returned to winning ways at home to Longford last weekend, but lost their unbeaten record under Stephen Bradley as they lost the EA Sports Cup semi-final to Pats on Monday.
However dropped points for all of the top three has brought the possibility of automatic European football back on the table, and the Hoops are also unbeaten in six league games.
“The boys are looking forward to playing Sligo tomorrow and they’re up for the challenge,” Bradley told the club's website.
“We’re playing well lately. I know we lost Monday night, but the lads are playing well. If you weren’t at the game Monday and just looked at the scoreline you’d assume they were the better side, but that wasn’t the case – we were. We just made silly mistakes and we aim to fix them.
“[Sligo is] going to be a tough game but the lads are really confident and we’re up for the challenge that Sligo will give us.
“The boys know it’ll be a tough game but we take the positives from Monday, despite the loss, and we take them into this game.”
Luke Byrne and Evan Osam remain long-term injury absentees, while Killian Brennan is a doubt, but Rob Cornwall returns from suspension.
Referee: Graham Kelly.
MATCH STATS
The sides have met twice this season, with the Hoops the only side to register successive victories over the Bit o' Red.
Pat Fenlon's side won 2-1 on the opening weekend and 3-0 when Sligo visited Tallaght in May.
The sides met three times last season, with Shamrock Rovers winning twice and the other game ending in a draw.
BETTING
Sligo Rovers 13/10; Draw 23/10; Shamrock Rovers 2/1.
PREDICTION
Sligo Rovers 1 - 1 Shamrock Rovers
Sligo Rovers
Injured: Regan Donelon (hamstring).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Luke Byrne (knee), Evan Osam (knee).
Doubtful: Killian Brennan.
Suspended: None.