START TO FINNISH..
Ronan: We have begun the season well but it’s a step by step process.. all we want now is to earn some derby payback
Bohemians Shamrock Rvrs Dalymount Park, 7.45pm
v OF all the days not to get carried away with an encouraging start to the season, Ronan Finn knows this is the one.
The Shamrock Rovers captain is fully aware from last season that Bohs will be fired up to land another derby blow in a clash that sold out a week ago.
Arch enemies who have also won both of their opening games to ensure this humdinger at Dalymount is an early top-of-the-table clash.
Keith Long’s Gypsies had the Hoops measure throughout 2018 and nabbed 10 points from 12 in their head-to-heads.
Bohs have a radically different team this year but Finn says Rovers must be on their guard against unfamiliar looking foes.
“Last season wasn’t good enough, bottom line,” said the midfielder of their struggles with their fierce rival.
“We have the perfect chance to address it but we’ll treat them with massive respect, as they turned us over.
“We owe our fans a performance because in each of the games we let ourselves down.
“They have a new team but in the back of your mind it’s there, the hurt that those games caused.
“But that’s the beauty of football – you go again and you have a chance to rectify that. Last season was last season – this is a new season.
“Two wins from two coming into the Dublin derby away – it’s good preparation but Bohs have won two.
“We have started well but that’s all we’ve done. If you take your eye off the ball and think you’re suddenly better than you are, you get punished.”
Last Friday Bohs won at their leisure away to UCD, building on their narrow home win over Finn Harps.
Rovers beat Waterford away with a last minute winner on the opening night and followed up with a scrappy 2-0 defeat of Derry City.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley is loath to squander the good start and hopes lessons are learned from last year’s derbies.
“We were ahead in three of them until late and it makes it worse when it’s a big derby,” he said.
“With derbies you can’t predict what way they’re going to go – are they going to be football games or is it winning the second ball? We just have to make sure we’re ready for whatever game it is.”