Hoops hoping to keep their momentum going as the mid-season breather approaches

RORY Gaffney reckons Shamrock Rovers ‘will be in a great position’ if they can sustain their 10-game unbeaten run until the mid-season break at the end of the month.

The Hoops have chalked up six wins in their past seven Premier Division games and will look to maintain the momentum at home to Sligo Rovers in Tallaght tonight (7.45).

It’s a quick turnaround from Friday for both teams who also drew 1-1 at The Showgrounds the weekend before last.

‘We dropped points to Sligo but if I’d taken my chance we would have been 2-0 up. Still, we’re on a great run. If we’re unbeaten by the time the break comes around, I think we’ll be in a great position,’ said Gaffney.

‘Sligo lost to Shels on Friday, so they’ll have a long journey to Dublin again on Monday. They’ve been tricky opponents for us but we’ll be raring to go and hopefully we’ll take care of business.’ Rovers must play five games before a breather after May 27, and the bulging itinerary includes Friday’s visit of Derry City.

As a sign of intent, Gaffney felt Rovers put down a marker of intent against Finn Harps in Friday’s 3-1 win at Tallaght.

‘In the first half, we blew them away early doors. We haven’t done that earlier in the season, we haven’t scored three in the first half anyway. But we were good on Friday night.’

Gaffney revealed the focus of the Rovers players was on preparing to be right for the visit of Harps rather than dwelling on whether Stephen Bradley would be in charge or not as he considered an offer from Lincoln City to become their manager.

‘He (Bradley) said to us on Thursday that if there was anything to be said, he’d tell us. Then Friday morning, we were let know that he was staying. He told us before it broke. Obviously, it’s great that he’s staying but we still have a job to do. We’re still trying to win the league, we’re still trying to have a run in Europe and a run in the FAI Cup.’

To help prepare for European competition in July, last season’s top four are all in action tonight with leaders Derry hosting a St Pat’s side still smarting from their 4-0 loss in Inchicore 10 days ago.

And Derry boss Ruaidhri Higgins is already braced for a backlash from the Saints at the Brandywell (7.45).

‘We didn’t get carried away with our win at Richmond Park because we know the quality they have. They have some seriously good attacking options and we have to be ready for whatever they throw at us,’ he said. ‘They bounced back with an emphatic win of their own in Drogheda at the weekend and that will give them great confidence.’

The schedule is tough on the four Euro-bound clubs but Gaffney sees the merit in bringing a mid-summer fixture forward.

‘It’s good as we’ll get the rest in July during the European game. You’d rather be fresh in July and play a game on Monday,’ he said.

In control: Rovers’ Rory Gaffney against Finn Harps