Shamrock Rovers Berpeluang Perlebar Jarak Poin di Liga Irlandia

Shamrock Rovers berpeluang memperlebar keunggulan menjadi sepuluh poin di puncak klasemen Premier Division Liga Irlandia saat bertandang menghadapi Sligo Rovers di Stadion The Showgrounds pada Jumat malam pukul 19.45 waktu setempat.

Pertandingan ini menjadi momentum bagi pemuncak klasemen untuk membalas kekalahan mengejutkan 2-1 dari Sligo Rovers bulan lalu, di tengah persiapan mereka menghadapi kompetisi Eropa melawan Floriana minggu depan.

Jelang laga tersebut, pihak Kepolisian Irlandia (Gardai) mengeluarkan peringatan kepada para penonton yang hadir di The Showgrounds agar menghormati lingkungan sekitar dan tertib dalam memarkir kendaraan karena stadion berada di area padat penduduk.

Manajer Shamrock Rovers, Stephen Bradley, menegaskan pentingnya fokus penuh bagi anak asuhnya demi menjaga performa terbaik dan menghindari hasil buruk seperti pada pertemuan sebelumnya.

"Sligo obviously beat us last time out, so we know it's a difficult game. It's important that we're fully focused on the challenge that Sligo are going to bring us." kata Bradley.

Bradley menambahkan bahwa evaluasi telah dilakukan pasca-kekalahan lalu agar timnya bisa memahami kesalahan yang terjadi di lapangan.

"They beat us recently, so it's obviously something we'd have to look at, which we did and learn from and understand what happened. But it just shows, and I've said it all season and maybe sound like a broken record, if you're not at your levels in this league, you get beat and that's true in any game." ujar Bradley.

Di kubu tuan rumah, manajer Sligo Rovers, John Russell, menyadari kekuatan tim tamu yang tetap tangguh meski berpotensi melakukan rotasi pemain demi kompetisi Eropa.

"You would imagine they (Shamrock Rovers) will have a few games in Europe coming up given that they should have enough to beat Floriana." kata Russell.

Russell menyatakan optimistis berdasarkan performa timnya saat melawan tim papan atas lain sebelumnya.

"But no matter the team they'll put out, they'll be looking to maintain their points difference at the top. Even if they were to rest a few, they're still formidable." ujar Russell.

Russell menambahkan bahwa skuadnya memiliki kemampuan untuk mengamankan poin dalam pertandingan ini.

"But I've seen enough from us particularly in stages against Pat's and Shels that proves we have it in us to get something Friday night." kata Russell.

"You would imagine they'll have a few games in Europe coming up given that they should have enough to beat Floriana", kata Russell.

"But no matter the team they'll put out, they'll be looking to maintain their points difference at the top. Even if they were to rest a few, they're still formidable." ujar Russell.

"But I've seen enough from us particularly in stages against Pat's and Shels that proves we have it in us to get something Friday night." kata Russell.

Sementara itu, pertandingan lain juga tersaji di kompetisi ini. Derry City dijadwalkan menjamu tim juru kunci Waterford di Stadion Ryan McBride Brandywell pada pukul 19.45 waktu setempat.

Manajer Derry City, Tiernan Lynch, memberikan dukungan penuh kepada bek tengah Jamie Stott yang baru saja kehilangan putrinya yang baru lahir.

"I think Jamie has probably seen a whole different side to Derry City and the football club and the players and everybody connected to it." kata Lynch.

Lynch juga menyampaikan bahwa fokus klub saat ini adalah mendampingi sang pemain melewati masa sulit ini.

"It’s obviously not an easy time for him and his partner. I think our job now is just to get around him and support him and let him know that we’re here for him." ujar Lynch.

Lynch memuji kembalinya Stott ke sesi latihan minggu ini.

"Great credit to him, he came back this week and started training and hopefully we’ll get him back on the pitch sooner rather than later." kata Lynch.

Pada laga lainnya, St Patrick's Athletic akan menjamu Galway United di Richmond Park. Manajer St Pat's, Stephen Kenny, meminta perlindungan lebih dari wasit terhadap pemainnya, Kian Leavy, yang kerap dilanggar keras.

"Kian is massively important for us, a breath of fresh air and a joy to watch this season. But he is a target, everyone wants to take him out. There should be a few red cards for that, rather than yellows." kata Kenny.

Kenny optimistis posisi timnya akan menguat jika berhasil mengamankan kemenangan dalam beberapa laga ke depan.

"We know that if we can win our games in hand over the next couple of weeks, we are in a brilliant position. So the onus is on us to try and do that. We need everyone getting behind the team to do that. That’s important." ujar Kenny.

Di Tolka Park, Shelbourne yang saat ini belum memiliki manajer tetap akan menghadapi Dundalk pada pukul 20.00 waktu setempat. Pelatih Dundalk, Ciaran Kilduff, menargetkan kebangkitan timnya pasca-kekalahan pekan lalu.

"Obviously the last couple of months we've been on a good run but getting beaten last week by Waterford after taking the lead is something we'll look to respond and react positively to." kata Kilduff.

Kilduff mengakui tantangan berat menghadapi Shelbourne yang merupakan salah satu tim papan atas.

"Shelbourne themselves have obviously had a change of manager, and you know, a really top team getting ready to go into European football. We know how tough this task is going to be, but we'll prepare and do everything we can to try any win this game." ujar Kilduff.

Satu laga sisa mempertemukan Drogheda United melawan Bohemians. Manajer Bohemians, Alan Reynolds, menuntut konsistensi dari timnya yang kini berada di peringkat kedua klasemen.

"The challenge for us now is to go and build on that (the wins against Shebourne and St Patrick’s Athletic)." kata Reynolds.

Reynolds mengingatkan para pemainnya untuk bekerja keras demi mempertahankan performa.

"We want consistency but we know how hard we have to work to get it." ujar Reynolds.

Reynolds menambahkan bahwa persaingan liga musim ini sangat ketat di papan atas.

"There is a lot of quality in this league, but consistency has been an issue for a lot of good teams in the past couple of seasons. We just need to focus on ourselves – we ask questions of ourselves and the players all the time, and we are rightly self-critical." kata Reynolds.

Reynolds menilai performa tim sejauh ini sudah memberikan fondasi yang kuat bagi kelanjutan kompetisi.

"But we are also second in the table of a really competitive league and have given ourselves a good platform to build on." ujar Reynolds.