AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Sligo Rovers v Shamrock Rovers:THE RECEIVED wisdom has long been that the first real opportunity to size up how your league season is shaping up is after the first round of games is completed and with that in mind Stephen Kenny and his men could do with winning at the Showgrounds this afternoon (kick-off 1.45), writes EMMET MALONE.

The champions would be left eight points off the pace if they lose today and while they’ve made a habit of making life difficult for themselves over the course of their two most recent title-winning campaigns, Sligo don’t seem to be playing ball this time around by giving their rivals an early season head start.

The hosts go into the game unbeaten in their opening 10 league games and, with Alan Keane back after a knee problem but Joseph Ndo facing a late test on a hamstring, are close to being at full strength.

Their visitors arrive having taken just six points from their last 15 and having failed to win any of the three games they would have expected to since the trouncing of Dundalk just short of a month ago.

Kenny, who will have to assess the fitness of Ronan Finn, Ken Oman (both hamstring) and Billy Dennehy (virus) before finalising his team, insists his side is good enough to break that run if “we play to our abilities”. There are easier places to do that than the Showgrounds, even if the hosts have dropped points in each of their last two home games.