League Preview: Sligo Rovers -v- Longford Town

SLIGO ROVERS

Sligo Rovers will be looking to maintain their good start to the season as they welcome Longford to the Showgrounds on Friday evening (kick-off is at 7.45pm).

The Bit O’Red come into the game after having a week off last weekend, with a raft of Covid-19 cases seeing their game against Waterford cancelled.

As a result of the Blues not being able to fulfil the fixture, Sligo were handed a 3-0 victory.

“We used last weekend to give some rest to players who needed it because we had a few knocks and niggles which required that,” Sligo boss Liam Buckley told his club’s media team.

“For the players who didn’t need rest and haven’t seen as much game time, we did more work with them and overall managed the schedule as we needed.”

He added: “Longford are going to be full of energy and I think they’ve done quite well since being promoted.

“The match in Longford was a close one and Garry Buckley popped up with the only goal. We have to be ready for what Longford will bring here because they will be right at it as they have been all season.”

Greg Bolger misses out with suspension, while Garry Buckley returns after being adjudged to have served his last week against Waterford.

David Cawley is a doubt, while Danny Kane and Darren Collins both miss out.

LONGFORD TOWN

Longford Town return to action this weekend having suffered a 2-0 defeat at the expense of Bohemians on Saturday evening.

Ali Coote and Liam Burt both netted for the Gypsies in either half – as Keith Long’s side picked up the three points with relative ease.

Longford are now winless since the opening day of the season – but they can take encouragement from many of their performances so far this season.

Speaking after Saturday’s defeat, Town captain Dean Zambra said: “I think we matched their performance stride for stride, and overall, I think we deserved at-least a point out of it.”

Last time the sides met, it was Sligo who ran out 1-0 winners, with Garry Buckley heading home early in the second=half.

In terms of team news, Callum Warfield remains out, while Joe Gorman is also expected to miss out.

Aaron McNally, Aaron McCabe and Matthew O’Brien are all rated as doubts.

Referee: Ben Connolly.

MATCH STATS

These sides last met in 2018 at the Showgrounds in the first round of the FAI Cup, where then-First Division side Longford ran out 1-0 winners.

BETTING

Sligo Rovers 1/2; Draw 27/10; Longford Town 5/1.

PREDICTION

Sligo Rovers 1 - 1 Longford Town

Sligo Rovers

Injured: Danny Kane, Darren Collins.

Doubtful: David Cawley.

Suspended: Greg Bolger.

Longford Town

Injured: Callum Warfield.

Unavailable: Joe Gorman.

Doubtful: Aaron McNally, Aaron McCabe, Matthew O’Brien.

Suspended: None.