SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW: SHAMROCK ROVERS V FINN HARPS
By Daire Walsh
Tomorrow evening is set to be the dawn of a new age for Shamrock Rovers as the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division champions play in front of spectators at the Tallaght Stadium for the first time in over a year.
One of three games to be used as part of a test pilot programme for the safe return of supporters to outdoor sporting events, the Hoops welcome Finn Harps to Whitestown Way for Series 15 of what is proving to be an intriguing top-flight campaign. The fact that the game is being held at 8pm rather than 7.45 – the former was the standard kick-off time for Friday night encounters in Tallaght prior to the pandemic – will offer those in attendance an even greater sense of familiarity.
While limited crowds were permitted to attend games when league action resumed at the end of July 2020 (before subsequently moving to a behind closed doors format), Rovers opted against allowing fans back through the turnstiles at that point. Given how difficult it was going to be to choose a couple of hundred lucky recipients from their hoards of supporters, it was instead left to the likes of ball retrievers and match officials to make up their COVID capacity.
Now that a crowd of 1,000 is allowed into Tallaght tomorrow, the Hoops faithful can once again make their voices heard from the stands.
Although all of the above will add substantial significance to tomorrow’s game, Rovers boss Stephen Bradley will be hoping his side don’t get too wrapped up in the occasion. Rory Gaffney bagged a stoppage-time winner to squeeze the Hoops past Longford Town last Friday week, but that result was preceded by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Dundalk and Sligo Rovers.
The latter defeat on home soil saw their opponents (managed by Perrystown native Liam Buckley) moving to the summit of the Premier Division table and, as it stands, the holders are now one point adrift of Sligo heading into the latest round of fixtures. There is no reason for the Hoops to panic just yet, however, as it was always going to be difficult for them to maintain the consistency that saw them going unbeaten for the whole of the 2020 league season.
Bradley’s charges remain an extraordinarily resilient bunch, with injury-time goals earning them an additional eight points thus far in 2021. Aaron Greene also struck in the 89th minute to earn them a draw against St Patrick’s Athletic on the opening day of the season and a John Mahon own goal on 88 minutes saw them sharing the spoils with Sligo Rovers on April 10.
His dramatic strike in Longford moved Gaffney onto five goals for this season, while Graham Burke and Danny Mandriou have four each to their names. This dynamic attacking triumvirate will hope to turn on the style in front of the club’s loyal followers tomorrow and, in the process, keep their quest for a second consecutive league title very much alive.