Hoops looking to bounce back against Harps in Ballybofey
By Daire Walsh
FOLLOWING their recent exit from two competitions, Shamrock Rovers will seek to keep their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division title challenge on track when they face Finn Harps in Ballbofey tomorrow evening (kick-off 8pm).
Having missed out on a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stages courtesy of a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Flora, Stephen Bradley’s Hoops were looking to gain solace against Bohemians in the FAI Cup last Sunday. However, a late Andy Lyons goal propelled the Gypsies towards a 2-1 win and put paid to Rovers’ bid for a domestic double.
Nevertheless, the prospect of back-to-back league title remains a live possibility and that will significantly sustain the squad for the remainder of the campaign. As it stands, the reigning champions are three points clear of city rivals St Patrick’s Athletic with two games in hand and 12 ahead of Sligo Rovers with the same number of fixtures played.
Their latest assignment will see them encountering a Harps side that aren’t out of the woods just yet when it comes to avoiding the spectre of a relegation play-off. Currently occupying seventh position in the top-flight table, Ollie Horgan’s men are just two points in front of second-from-bottom Dundalk.
Still, the Donegal outfit can be tricky opponents, as St Pat’s recently discovered when losing out 3-1 at Finn Park. While the Hoops secured a 2-0 victory against Harps in the same venue on April 30, they had to settle for a share of the spoils when the north-west side travelled to the Tallaght Stadium just over a month later.
Although there is some room for error given their current foothold at the summit of the table, Bradley’s troops will want to bounce back from recent disappointment by securing their 16th league triumph of 2021.