15.00 29 May 2016 -
Referee: Anthony Buttimer
League Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Finn Harps
- Dave Donnelly
- Sun, May 29 2016
SHAMROCK ROVERS
Shamrock Rovers welcome Finn Harps to Tallaght Stadium hoping to resurrect their league campaign following the crushing 2-0 defeat to Wexford Youths two weeks ago.
The FAI Cup offered some respite last Friday as a blend of youth and experience saw the Hoops run out comfortable 4-0 winners over Cork club Midleton. Gary Shaw, Sean Heaney, Pat Cregg and Brandon Miele scored against a side featuring former Rovers title-winning captain Dan Murray.
The Hoops continue to boast the remarkable record of not having conceded a goal in any of their eight leageue wins, while they've failed to score in any of their five defeats. Pat Fenlon will be looking for more of the former and less of the latter as Ollie Horgan's men visit.
“They’ll come here and make it hard for us,” manager Pat Fenlon told the club's website.
“We have to improve our position in the league and we have a chance to do that on Sunday, Harps got a few tough beatings the last few games so they’ll be out to make it hard for us.
“We went up there early in the season and they made it hard for us to get the win, bit of a scrappy win, so I’m expecting nothing different.
“We need to be more consistent in the league, however, good and bad performances against Sligo and Wexford Youths. Going into that Wexford game I think we had 75% of our games won and that’s madness when you think about it.
“We can’t be losing games, if we’re not going to win, we have to at least make sure we’re picking up points. We have to kick on now and win five or six of our next few games, we need to go on a run of good form.”
Fenlon will be without three members of his backline as Gavin Brennan, Luke Byrne and David Webster are all injured.
FINN HARPS
Ollie Horgan will be looking for a lift following his side's FAI Cup loss to Crumlin United on Saturday – the only high-profile casualty from last weekend's action.
Harps have lost their last three games by an aggregate score of 12-0 – the 7-0 defeat to Dundalk followed by a 3-0 loss in Inchicore to St Patrick's Athletic.
They'll take solace, however, from their performance when the sides met in Ballybofey early in the season, when it took a Gary McCabe penalty to earn the Hoops all three points.
Harps will be without Barry Molloy following the midfielder's red card against Crumlin, while a number of players remain absent through injury.
Referee: Anthony Buttimer.
MATCH STATS
The sides met for the first time in a number of years earlier this season, when Gary McCabe's penalty settled a close game 1-0 for the Hoops.
BETTING
Shamrock Rovers 1/3; Draw 15/4; Finn Harps 8/1.
PREDICTION
Shamrock Rovers 3 – 0 Finn Harps
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Gavin Brennan (hand), Luke Byrne (knee), David Webster (knee).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Finn Harps
Injured: Raymond Foy (hamstring), Matthew Crossan (knee).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Barry Molloy.