Stephen Bradley: 'It's like we're getting punished for promoting young players'

Stephen Bradley says Shamrock Rovers may have to look at pulling players from underage international squads in future if they're not given assistance to deal with their absence.

Rovers requested that Saturday's fixture away to St Patrick's Athletic be postponed after Trevor Clarke and Michael O'Connor were called up for the Republic of Ireland's under-19s' mini-tournament in Belgium this week.

However, despite giving notice well in advance, the Hoops boss says they were forced to play the Dublin derby minus two key first-team players.

Clarke started for Tom Mohan's under-19s as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Sweden on Saturday afternoon, and the left-back's absence was keenly felt as the Hoops lost 2-1 at Richmond Park.

Rovers were leading when Clarke's deputy, Sean Heaney, was sent off in the first half and they succumbed to two second-half goals as they fell to their fourth defeat in six league games.

“We did everything for it to be called off and the league didn't help us whatsoever,” Bradley told Extratime.ie following the final whistle in Inchicore.

“It's going to be an issue going forward and we're going to have to look at pulling our players from international football.”

In normal circumstances, the absence of two first-team players to international duty would be grounds for a League of Ireland side to have a fixture moved.

Last September, Cork City had a key game in the title run-in against Dundalk moved when Sean Maguire and Kevin O'Connor were called up to Noel King's under-21s to face Serbia.

Rovers expected to be afforded the same accommodation when Clarke and O'Connor were named in the squad for Ireland's European Championship elite qualifying group series.

However, despite registering their concerns two months before the season kicked off, Bradley says the club received no correspondence and were obliged to fulfil the fixture as scheduled.

“Once it's under under-21s there's no rules. We went to the league in pre-season about this. We knew there was going to be a problem because we have so many underage internationals.

“The league weren't willing to help us so we're going to have to look at it as a club, to seriously consider pulling our players from internationals because it's cost us tonight with Trevor not there.”

Rovers have actively looked to invest in top-level talent at youth level – O'Connor was a summer recruit from Dundalk after making his European debut away to Legia Warsaw.

However Bradley feels the club are being unduly penalised for doing promoting young players, and that their commitment to development isn't being reciprocated by those higher up the chain.

“It's not acceptable that the league don't try and help us when we have players on international duty – it's like we're getting punished for promoting young players. That shouldn't be the case.

“We need to sit down and talk to players and explain the situation, and explain that it's hurting us.

“The league can help us here – all they have to do is help us by moving the game. They showed no desire to help us whatsoever.

“It's not as if we went to them yesterday – we went to them three months ago and asked for help and we actually got no response whatsoever from the league.”

Ireland under-19s finish their elite qualifying campaign against the hosts Belgium on Tuesday and Bradley hopes Clarke and O'Connor will return for Friday's meeting with Finn Harps at Tallaght Stadium.