20.00 14 Aug 2015 -
Referee: Neil Doyle
League Preview: Longford Town -v- Shamrock Rovers
- Macdara Ferris
- Thu, Aug 13 2015
LONGFORD TOWN
The Town come into Friday’s game in City Calling Stadium against Shamrock Rovers (kick off 8pm) seeking their first win in five league games but buoyed by the point their ten men earned at the home of the champions last week.
Despite Mark Salmon’s 41st minute red card in Oriel Park, Longford were able to shut out Dundalk and gain a valuable 0-0 draw. They currently sit seventh in the league table, two points clear of a trio of clubs below them.
Salmon’s loss for this fixture due to suspension will make the job of breaking down the Rovers defence, the best in the league away from home, all the more difficult.
The Hoops have had the upper hand in the matches between the sides this season. In Longford’s first home league game this year, Rovers won 2-0 but the Town pushed the Hoops hard in Tallaght last time out, only going down by the odd goal in five.
Rovers had set up that night with an unfamiliar (for them) 4-4-2 formation with Longford gaining the upper hand in the middle of the park as Pat Fenlon went with Danny North and Mikey Drennan playing up top together.
Mark Rossiter and Dean Kelly are likely to be unavailable for Tony Cousins to select.
SHAMROCK ROVERS
Pat Fenlon had not suffered a league defeat at Tallaght Stadium since he took charge of the Hoops up until last Friday. However, Craig Hyland’s two second half mistakes handed St. Pat’s a 2-0 win and put a dent in Rovers’ European qualification ambitions.
They will need a win over Longford on Friday if they are to get back on track for Europe. They haven’t ruled out a tilt at the league title either having a game in hand on the teams above them with two matches to come against Dundalk.
However, they will have to manage for the rest of the campaign without Keith Fahey who unfortunately had to announce his retirement from football on Thursday (see full story here).
“We have had two tough games against Longford this season and this could be another tight game,” said Pat Fenlon speaking to www.shamrockrovers.ie. “They had a good result last week so have some form.
"Our players know that there is no room for error at this stage. We need to go out and win the game, it's as simple as that. Some players will get a chance to play tomorrow night and they need to grasp the opportunity and show that they should start every week."
The big decision for Pat Fenlon is whether he gives a Rovers return in goal for Barry Murphy or will he stick with Craig Hyland. Fenlon’s pre-match comments could be interpreted that Murphy is set to start in goal.
Hyland has played all Rovers’ league games this season bar the league fixture three days after the 2-1 away defeat to Odds Ballklub which saw their elimination from Europe last month.
Rovers will be missing the goalscorers from their first away victory of the season when they won in City Calling Stadium through goals from Sean O’Connor and Marty Waters back in March. O’Connor is out for the season and Waters received an injury time red card last Friday night and so must sit out this game due to suspension.
Pat Cregg picked up an eighth yellow card of the season last week and he will also miss this match. Ryan Brennan’s calf injury means he also misses out. Stephen McPhail and Damien Duff, who will be at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday afternoon to meet supporters at a Rovers fans event, are close to being selected in the match day squad but are not available this Friday.
Referee: Neil Doyle
MATCH STATS
Last season Shamrock Rovers, who finished fourth in the league, lost five league games to teams above them in the league. The Hoops, currently sitting in fourth place, suffered their first league loss to a team sitting above them in the table when St. Pat’s came to Tallaght and won last week.
The last time the sides met was in Tallaght Stadium back in May when the Hoops won 3-2. Gavin Brennan and Max Blanchard (2) scored the goals for Rovers. It was nervy end to the game for the Hoops as Kaleem Simon scored late for the Town to add to Pat Flynn’s earlier goal against his former team. The 18-year-old Simon is the youngest opposition goalscorer to find the back of the net in Tallaght.
Longford will be without their suspended top goalscorer Mark Salmon for this game. He has five league goals to his name, one ahead of David O’Sullivan. Mikey Drennan is the Hoops topscorer with 10 league goals, two clear of Brandon Miele who was runner up in the SSE Airtricity League / SWAI player of the month for July. Drennan hasn’t scored in seven games since Rovers’ 4-1 win over Derry City at the start of June.
BETTING
Longford 5/1; Draw 13/5; Shamrock Rovers 4/7.
PREDICTION
1-0 away win to Shamrock Rovers.
Longford Town
Injured: Unknown.
Doubtful: Mark Rossiter, Dean Kelly.
Suspended: Mark Salmon.
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Ryan Brennan (calf), Stephen McPhail (knee), Damien Duff (ankle), Keith Fahey (knee), Sean O'Connor (ankle).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Marty Waters, Patrick Cregg.
About Macdara Ferris
Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl …