Rovers relish chance to avenge Cup final defeat
IT?S celebration time for Sligo Rovers as Eoin Doyle is congratulated by Alan Keane after scoring his side?s goal against Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds on Saturday last
IT?S celebration time for Sligo Rovers as Eoin Doyle is congratulated by Alan Keane after scoring his side?s goal against Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds on Saturday last.
Five months after their F.A.I. Cup final defeat to the same opposition, Sligo Rovers travel to the Morton Stadium on Friday night next to seek revenge against Sporting Fingal. (Kick-off 7.45p.m.)
While the personnel involved will be significantly changed to that in action at Tallaght Stadium in November, manager Paul Cook is expecting another tough test against the newly promoted Dubliners.
"I suppose in hindsight people thought we had to just turn up in the Cup Final to beat a First Division team, but football doesn’t work like that.
"However, that’s all history now and all that concerns me right now is getting a result on Friday night to keep our momentum going," said the Rovers boss.
Sporting Fingal have strengthened their squad considerably since their 2-1 defeat of Rovers, including the signing of goalkeeper, Brendan Clarke and ex-Bohemians striker, Glen Crowe.
"They could be the surprise packets, no doubt about it. They are certainly not a First Division outfit. They have some very experienced players who know what it is all about.
" I expect they will try to dictate the game and as was the case against Shamrock Rovers they could enjoy long spells of possession.
"Our job is to ensure that they don’t turn that into chances and we know what we have to do," Cook added.
The Rovers manager will again look for a repeat of the workrate evident in the league opener with Shams and has praised the attitude and application of his players in the build-up to the big kick-off.
"The lads have been fantastic and there were a lot of positives to take from the Shamrock Rovers game. I feel Friday night’s match against Sporting Fingal will be much the same, but we realize it will be a difficult fixture," Cook acknowledged.
Rovers don’t report any major injury worries ahead of the trip to the Morton Stadium and Cook should have a full panel to choose from.
"We created opportunities against Shams and hopefully we can do the same on Friday night and take at least one of them. It would be great to get another result going into the Galway game at home and it would set us up nicely," said the manager.
- MICHAEL MORAN
