2020 Season Preview: Sligo Rovers

Manager: Liam Buckley

Stadium: The Showgrounds

Players in: Darragh Noone (Shelbourne), Will Seymore (Reno 1968), Garry Buckley (Cork City), Teemu Penningkangas (FC Lahti), Jesse Devers (Manulla). 

Players out: Dante Leverock (Radomiak Radom), Sam Warde (Galway United), Kris Twardek (Bohemians), Romeo Parkes (New Mexico United), Daryl Fordyce (Valour FC).  

Extratime.ie Key Man: Lewis Banks

The former Stoke City under-23 captain arrived in Sligo ahead of the 2019 League of Ireland season and quickly became a mainstay of Liam Buckley’s back four playing on the left and right side of defence.

Banks form was such that he was awarded a new contract midway through the season which sees him remain with the Bit O’Red until the end of the 2020 season. 

The 22-year-old was awarded Sligo Rovers Player of the Year for 2019 too and the young defender will be an integral part of Liam Buckley’s squad this season. 

Extratime.ie One to Watch: Teemu Penningkangas

The 27-year-old Finn brings plenty of experience from the Finnish top tier with him to the North-West. 

He spent a successful period with SJK in the Veillausliiga, helping the side to win the competition for the first time in their history. 

The defender went on to play against Bate Borisov in the Champions League the following season.

With experience of playing in Europe and a lengthy career in the Finnish top flight which included some silverware, Penningkangas brings impressive and intriguing experience to The Showgrounds this coming season.

How they did last season:

League:

Rovers finished up chugging away in the bottom half of the table for the third season in a row.

An opening day draw away to Premier Division champions Dundalk gave the brief impression that things might be different in 2019 for the Bit O’Red, but the glow from that impressive result wore away gradually into mid-season anonymity at the Showgrounds.

That being said they did manage a win over Dundalk later in the season with a 2-1 victory over the Lilywhites at home in Sligo probably the pick of their league results last season.

A drab season was book ended by three straight losses to see out Liam Buckley’s first season in charge of the Bit O’Red.

FAI Cup:

Sligo made it all the way to the semi-finals of the competition where they were defeated by Dundalk at home in September. 

Rovers had managed to beat the Lilywhites in the Premier Division earlier in the season but they couldn’t strike lucky in this meeting with Michael Duffy scoring late on to dump them out of the competition.

The rounds before saw Sligo record high margin victories over Glebe North (8-0), Limerick (6-2) and UCD (4-0) on their way to their meeting with the eventual runners up in the semi-finals.

EA Sports Cup:

Finn Harps knocked Sligo out in the first round when they visited Ballybofey in April.

There was late drama as Harps Mark Coyle scored in the 87^th minute only for Sligo’s Dante Leverock to equalise two minutes later.

Stephen Doherty made the difference in extra-time for Ollie Horgan’s men with a goal in the 95^th minute, halting Sligo’s progression in the competition.

What to expect this season:

With much of the squad re-signed from last season, and only a few new signings at the Showgrounds Sligo should expect a similar season to 2019. 

It will be tough for Rovers to shake themselves from the pack in the bottom half of the division and the bookies reflect this with the side having similar odds to Waterford, Cork City and Shelbourne, the side should be prepared for a frustrating season.

Liam Buckley should also be concerned with avoiding the relegation playoff spot as it will not be an easy battle at that end of the table with Finn Harps likely to shave points off teams. 

Shelbourne replacing UCD also means there’s a stronger team in the division and Sligo should expect to be in the mix for that relegation playoff position late into the season. 

Title Odds: 50/1. 

First game: Finn Harps (Away).