SOCCER:WITH THE need for other results to go their way, Bohemians probably won't go top even if they beat Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park tonight, but the victory over their arch rivals will be more than ample compensation.
Having played for both clubs in his day, Pat Fenlon knows only too well how important these games are to the players of both clubs and having arrived a few weeks ago from Sporting Fingal, former Shamrock Rovers defender Ger O’Brien is about to gain a similar perspective.
“I’ve been away from them for a few years but I remember what it meant to everyone at Rovers,” said O’Brien. “They were games that you looked forward to and you were desperate to win and having been with Rovers back then I know what it’s like to go into them as the underdog.
“After last week’s win, though, we’re definitely up for this. We didn’t create much against St Pat’s and we were probably poor enough against Galway too but last week we played quite well and created quite a few chances which was good.
“This game, though, will tell how far we’ve come and a good result would set us up well for the other tough matches over the next couple of weeks (against Sligo Rovers and Derry City).
“We’re up there challenging now, though, when probably nobody would have expected us to be and I don’t see any reason why we can’t come out on top of what I expect to be a very tight game.”
O’Brien, as it happens, has been on a bizarre run of conceding penalties, having had three given against him in the last month after years without giving any away. And he admits to having had second thoughts about challenging for the ball around the area. However, he insists there will be no holding back tonight but might still be pleased to hear that Gary Twigg is one of three Rovers players expected to miss out with hamstring problems.
Stephen O’Donnell and Craig Sives are the others while Robert Bayly and Lee Dixon are in contention to start for the hosts. However, Ollie Cahill, Glenn Cronin, Barry Murphy and Christy Fagan are all still out.
Mark Quigley, meanwhile, will be hoping to maintain the form that won him the Airtricity-sponsored Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month award for March when Sligo come to Oriel Park this evening.
The striker has made a remarkable start to his career at Dundalk and scored some exceptional goals over the course of the month. It might take something special again, though, to break down one of the league’s best defences and Paul Cook’s options are boosted ahead of the game by the return from suspension of Alan Keane and Gavin Peers from suspension.
Derry City, who travel to Galway, are the other side in with a chance of finishing the night in top spot while a home win over Drogheda would make this Bray’s best ever start to a Premier Division campaign.
