Work to be done yet, but Dundalk draw is good sign
THE League of Ireland off-season is a long one. The league finishes in October, the FAI Cup final takes place on the first weekend of November, and you’re left without a competitive ball to kick until mid-way through February.
You can see the eagerness of fans across the board when you look at attendance figures on Friday night. The average attendance at a League of Ireland Premier Division game was 3,558. Those numbers are up from 2018.
There is always a sense of anticipation going into the first weekend. For fans of Sligo Rovers, it was stepping into the unknown. Few knew what to expect.
You’re facing the champions on the opening day of the season with a lot of new faces in the squad and a lot of youthful ones too at that.
Dundalk too have seen a lot of change over the off-season, with Stephen Kenny leaving his position to take over the Republic of Ireland Under 21s and the team of John Gill and Vinny Perth taking the reins at the Lilywhites.
Some predicted it would be a good time to face the champions as they got to grips with the new era, and they were right.
Buckley was critical of his side when they were on the ball, but admitted that off the ball they were excellent.
It’s been a long time since Rovers have been under such pressure for the duration of a game and managed to sustain it.
Credit must go to Ed McGinty in goals. The youngster made his competitive debut for Rovers in the final game of the 2017 season when he came on as a sub against Drogheda when Shaun Patton got injured.
He didn’t have a whole pile to do, but Rovers needed at least a draw that evening to avoid relegation, and it would have been very easy for him to crumble under that pressure.
Since then Ed has worked extremely hard. He looks a much more confident and assured player than we have seen before. He has no problem coming off his line and is brave where necessary.
He could not be faulted for the concession of the penalty, whether or not he should have been booked is an argument for a different day, although I’m sure the Dundalk fans are still arguing about why a yellow should have been brandished.
It will take a while for the new signings to settle in, Dante Leverock was caught out by Robbie Benson in the lead up to the penalty being given away, but he also made a number of vital clearances as the game went on and he will almost certainly improve as the season goes on.
Romeo Parkes worked his socks off all night. He didn’t have much luck up front on the night but we saw glimpses of what he can do along with his workrate, which must be refreshing for fans of the Bit O’Red who always demand hard work from their striker.
He only got a few minutes at the end of the game but I would expect Ronan Coughlan to be an excellent signing for Liam Buckley’s charges. Many Cork City fans were surprised to see him leave and as someone who is familiar with the league he will surely prove to be a vital addition.
Due to injuries, Friday night’s squad was somewhat lightweight but with David Cawley and Ronan Murray due back in the coming weeks, there will certainly be a vast improvement in the squad.
Liam Buckley is not getting carried away just yet, and he is right. A draw against the champions on the opening night is huge for Rovers, but Dundalk were poor and their finishing left a lot to be desired on the night.
On another day it could well have been a cricket score, but Rovers will take it and move on.
A tough task awaits this Friday, not to mention Cork City on Monday. Former Rovers players have developed a nasty habit of scoring against their former employers when they return to play them, and I would expect nothing less with both Mikey Drennan and Rhys McCabe returning to The Showgrounds this Friday.
With a new manager comes a new sense of hope, and Rovers will be hoping that it means seeing the Showgrounds packed once again, starting with this Friday’s meeting with Liam Buckley’s former charges.