Sligo manager Buckley dreaming of return to glory in the Cup
LI AM BUCKLEY will urge Sligo Rovers to seize the moment against Der r y Ci t y in tonight’s Extra.ie FAI Cup quarter-final at The Showgrounds (7.30).
‘As a player and manager, my best memories are built on winning FAI Cups and Leagues, getting into Europe,’ recalled the Sligo manager.
‘I remember the occasions, all the way back to losing to UCD in the Cup final when I was with Rovers.
‘For our players, it’s about grasping this opportunity as best as they can.’
Following their fourth place finish in the Premier Division, a Sligo win tonight will ensure a European return unless Athlone Town were to beat Dundalk in the semi-final and go on to win the FAI Cup.
‘The revenues in Europe are massive. We’ve seen how the landscape has opened up for Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers in terms of being able to recruit quality players,’ said Buckley.
In contrast, Derry’s only shot at the new Europa Conference in 2021 is outright FAI Cup success.
Two periods of isolation almost back-to-back was not the preparation Declan Devine had in mind for his team’s end-of-season schedule.
‘We had no training sessions at all before our final couple of league matches but we got some sort of work with the players ahead of the Sligo game,’ said Devine.
After the league restarted in August, Sligo won eight out of their 13 r e mai n i n g league games; in contrast, Derry won half that number.
With the firepower of Ronan Coughlan and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, in addition to playing at home, Sligo hold the high ground.
The prize for the winners is a trip to Tallaght on Sunday to face the double-chasing Hoops in the semi-final.