19.45 19 Mar 2016 -
Referee:
League Preview: Sligo Rovers -v- Finn Harps
- Josh Dolan
- Sat, Mar 19 2016
SLIGO ROVERS
Sligo Rovers, who are looking for their first win of the 2016 season welcome Finn Harps to the Showgrounds on Saturday night.
Dave Robertson’s charges have endured a tough start to the season, going down 2-0 at home to Shamrock Rovers on the opening night of the season while playing 45 minutes with ten men, before losing 1-0 to Bohemians and eventually attaining their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw with Connacht rivals Galway United last Monday.
Finn Harps provide the opposition for Sligo’s fourth fixture in a fortnight. However, Bit O’Red boss Dave Robertson believes his player’s hard work in pre-season can see them through this busy period.
“It is good to be getting straight back out there again after Monday. It will be our fourth game in two weeks but the work we did in pre-season has us prepared for that,” the ex-Peterborough boss explained.
As usual teams have to put up with heavy, uneven playing surfaces at this stage of the season. However, Robertson is confident that the Showgrounds’ turf is in good condition and believes that it could give his side the advantage on Saturday night.
“The pitches we have played on so far have also been a bit heavy but I walked the pitch at the Showgrounds today and it is in really good condition now for tomorrow,” Robertson revealed.
“Having that is really conducive to the passing playing style that we have. It has come good quickly and I am pleased as it suits our game.”
The Sligo boss concluded by analyzing the difficult task that face his side in the form of Ollie Horgan’s well drilled Finn Harps.
“They will be tough to play against. They work hard and are very well organised. That is how they got promotion last year.
“They have continued that rich vein of form into this year with the win on the first day. We know what to expect from them and we will pay respect to them as a team,” Robertson concluded.
Sligo have have a full outfit available to them this Saturday with the exception of Phil Roberts who is suspended following his red card in Monday’s 1-1 draw with Galway.
FINN HARPS
Ollie Horgan travels to the Showgrounds looking to attain his sides first points away from Finn Park this season.
Harps started the season with a 2-1 win at home to rivals Derry City, before succumbing to back-to-back defeats to Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers.
The Donegal outfit are currently two points and three positions better off than Sligo in a very early league table.
However, Harps boss Ollie Horgan believes his side will face a very difficult task on Saturday night.
“They (Sligo Rovers) are very quick and explosive and play very attractive attacking football. We will be starved of possession against them,” Horgan opened.
The physical demands of the Premier Division have showed in the Finn Harps squad with no fewer than five players already sidelined through injury.
“The biggest difference at moment that we have learned is the more physical demands on the players which has resulted in a number of injuries,” Horgan concluded.
Michael Rafter, Ciaran Coll, Sean Houston, Barry Molloy and Josh Mailey will once again miss out as they continue to recover from a range of respective injuries.
Referee: Padraigh Sutton
MATCH STATS
The sides haven’t met at the Showgrounds since 2009 when the Bit O’Red won 4-1in a last 16 League Cup clash.
The man in the middle for that game was Padraigh Sutton. The Clare man will once again mediate between the two sides on Saturday night.
You have to go back to 2004 for Finn Harps’ last league victory over Sligo Rovers which came in a 1-0 win at Finn Park.
BETTING
Sligo Rovers 4/5; Draw 9/4; Finn Harps 4/1.
PREDICTION
Sligo Rovers 2-1 Finn Harps
Sligo Rovers
Injured: None.
Doubtful: Phil Roberts.
Suspended: None.
Finn Harps
Injured: Barry Molloy, Sean Houston, Michael Rafter, Ciaran Coll, Josh Mailey.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
About Josh Dolan
Josh Dolan is one of our Dublin based reporters, who also helps out with Extratime.ie’s administration tasks.
Josh, who was recommended to us by fellow reporters, joined the site as a teenager …