Hoops boss Bradley backs Aaron Greene to find his scoring touch

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley has backed striker Aaron Greene to find his form in front of goal sooner rather than later.

The striker squandered a trio of gilt-edged chances on Friday night as the Hoops needed late goals from Jack Byrne and Aaron McEneff to secure a 3-1 victory.

Greene missed a one-on-one early on and missed a tap-in in first-half injury time, while he passed up a chance to put Rovers back in front after the break when he miscontrolled Joel Coustrain’s cross.

The former Bohemians and Sligo Rovers striker has found the net twice in eight appearances so far this season, and has been denied others by narrow offside calls against Derry City and Sligo.

Both Byrne and McEneff have three apiece in the league so far as the league’s early pacesetters have spread the goals around the pitch.

And the manager insists that, although Greene was personally disappointed to miss out on a couple of goals, he’s in no doubt that the 29-year-old will find his scoring touch.

“Aaron is fine,” Bradley told extratime.ie.

“On another night one of those hits him and it’s a totally different game. Sometimes you get nights like that.

“I thought his all-round game was good, he just obviously needs to put one of them away.”

The Jobstown native said he wasn’t nervous when his side went in level and, despite UCD enjoying a purple patch after the break, he was always confident his team would find a way through.

“We were playing really well. We created so many chances. It was just more of the same. We had to keep being patient and keep creating chances and we knew it would come.”

Bradley saw striker Daniel Carr and defender Joey O’Brien pick up knocks ahead of the game with UCD and won’t be risked for Monday’s EA Sports Cup meeting with Bray Wanderers.

Ethan Boyle could take part for the first time since late February after returning to full training following a hamstring injury picked up in the league defeat to Bohemians.