League Preview: Finn Harps -v- Shamrock Rovers

FINN HARPS

Finn Harps welcome Shamrock Rovers to Finn Park (kick-off 8pm) as they look to start the second half of the season in a similar manner to how they finished the first.

Harps are now unbeaten in three as they followed up high-scoring victories over St Patrick's Athletic and Limerick with a scoreless draw away to Sligo Rovers.

Having risen from the foot of the table to eighth, the break arguably came at the wrong time for Ollie Horgan's side, but it has allowed key players like Paddy McCourt to recuperate niggles.

“It’s another huge match for us right after the mid-season break but it’s going to be very difficult with the four lads out due to suspensions,” Horgan told the club's media team.

“On the other hand you could look at it and say at least they're all out of the way in one go now.

“[Rovers] won well here in Ballybofey last season and got the better of us in Tallaght back in March.

“We will really have to be at the very top of our form to get anything out of this game.”

With Dundalk and Derry City up next for Harps, this could be a pivotal couple of weeks for Horgan's side, but they go into it without four suspended players.

Ethan Boyle, Caolan McAleer and Damien McNulty are suspended for accumulating yellow cards, while Danny Morrissey's sending-off in Limerick earned him an extra game off.

Horgan has fitness doubts over Eddie Dsane and Barry Molloy, with Molloy the more likely to feature after returning to training, but has an otherwise full squad to utilise.

SHAMROCK ROVERS

Shamrock Rovers arrive in Ballybofey under somewhat of a cloud after they surrendered a 1-0 lead to St Patrick's Athletic in their final game before the break.

The Hoops have lacked consistency this year, managing back-to-back wins in the league just once, and Christy Fagan's second-half goal ensured that remained the case.

The game was most notable for Graham Burke's second-half red card for kicking former Hoop Pat Cregg, his second such dismissal of the season and manager Stephen Bradley was understandably irate.

“When a player gets sent off for a tackle I can accept that but what Graham did is unacceptable and he knows that,” Bradley told the Rovers media team in advance of the game.

“Finn Harps are a decent side and they can cause us issues if you allow them to

“They have players that can hurt you so we've got to be 100% ready and focused for tomorrow and make sure that whatever the game throws up that we're ready to go and meet it head on.

“Whatever happens outside [with Bray playing Derry] doesn't really concern us. We've got our targets that we have to hit and we're on course to hit them right now.

“A win tomorrow would be big for us and we know that. We've to go and put in a performance. It's a tough place to go but we'll be ready – we've had a good run of form ourselves.”

Like Harps, Rovers are missing four through suspension, with Graham Burke and David McAllister serving the first and second match respectively of their three-game bans.

Trevor Clarke and Dave Webster also missed out as a result of accumulated yellow cards, while Paul Corry is out for a foreseeable future with a knee injury.

Referee: Robert Harvey

MATCH STATS

The sides have met once so far this season as Simon Madden's injury-time goal stole a victory for Rovers in a game they had led 2-0 at half time.

Harps recent record against Rovers isn't good, having lost both home games last season and drawn the meeting in Tallaght in their first season back at the top level.

Prior to Rovers' 1-0 at Finn Park last March, the sides hadn't met in eight years, when Harps had taken seven points from nine during a 2008 that nevertheless saw the Ballybofey club relegated.

BETTING

Finn Harps 10/3; Draw 5/2; Shamrock Rovers 5/6.

PREDICTION

Finn Harps 1 – 2 Shamrock Rovers

Finn Harps

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Eddie Dsane (back), Barry Molloy (groin).

Suspended: Ethan Boyle, Caolan McAleer, Damien McNulty, Danny Morrissey.

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Paul Corry (knee).

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: Trevor Clarke, Graham Burke, David McAllister, David Webster