PREVIEW: BOHEMIANS v LONGFORD TOWN
March 26, 2021
BOHEMIANS v LONGFORD TOWN
Saturday March 27 2021
Dalymount Park, 4pm
Keith Long believes he has brought in players of the right character and quality to succeed at Bohemians.
Bohs had a disappointing start to the season last weekend when a defensive error allowed Adam Foley in the 38th minute to give Finn Harps all three points in Ballybofey.
It was a frustrating night for the Gypsies who were on top for long periods and had the lion’s share of goal-scoring opportunities with Georgie Kelly, Ross Tierney and Liam Burt all going close.
Prior to the game, vice-captain Rob Cornwall warned that, with nine new rivals this season, it would take time for the team to gel.
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Four of those started in Ballybofey with full debuts handed to Rory Feely, Ali Coote, Liam Burt and Georgie Kelly, while Thomas Oluwa was introduced in the second half.
And Long believes that the more competitive games they play together, the more cohesion we will see, as they look to get back to winning ways against newly-promoted Longford Town, who will come into the game confident after their opening night 2-0 win over Derry City.
Long said: “The relative stability of last season has been replaced this year with change.
“To finish second last season, qualifying for Europe for the second year running with the youngest team in the country is evidence that we are making progress.
“We try to look at change as a positive and an opportunity but there is no doubt that we lost some key players from last year, which are not so easy to replace.
“Time will tell, but we hope we have recruited well and brought the right characters to the club. It takes a certain type to fill a Bohs jersey and it will squeeze out those that look for shortcuts.
“But with nine new players in a squad it will take time for them to settle in. Pre-season went reasonably well but only competitive games can bring cohesion to a team.”
As well as the five who featured in Ballybofey last Saturday, Tyreke Wilson, Bastien Héry, Bradley Rolt and Stephen Mallon, who is currently sidelined, have yet to be thrown into the mix.
Long said: “Of the new players coming into the club, we have looked to try and strengthen all areas of the team if possible.
“Sometimes that can be difficult in this league and replacing so many key players can be an exhausting process but, as in many other seasons before, we hope that we have brought players to the club that can help us improve.”
As well as the new recruits, Long has also promoted from within.
He said: “We have made progress at academy level with Bohs-SKB with eight of our high potential young players signing their first professional contracts at the club.
“It is important for me as manager to have the ability to look within and I believe we have an exciting crop of young players coming through – that extends to some of the players that we currently have in our system not on professional contracts.”
While there has been a lot to be positive over the closed season as the club strengthens for the future, the continued but necessary absence of supporters from stadiums continues to simultaneously frustrate and motivate Long and his players.
He added: “We cannot forget the suffering that people have gone through in this pandemic with the loss of so many loved ones to this horrible virus, with the real toll on our society yet to be seen.
“But, in my view, football is the most important of the least important things. It is our promise that we will try and represent our club and its people as best we can on the pitch until such a time as we can get supporters back into grounds and filling out Dalymount once more.
“It is different, it is not the same, and is almost unnatural to a degree not having them behind us. We understand and are cognisant of how lucky we are to be in a position to do what we love.
“But I long for the day we see supporters, families, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, back where they belong – in Dalymount wearing the red and black of our great club.”
TEAM NEWS
Bohemians are without Stephen Mallon (metatarsal) and Promise Omochere (knee).
Conor Levingston (calf) and Bradley Rolt (hamstring) have both trained well and could come into the reckoning.
Neither Andy Lyons nor Dawson Devoy featured for the Ireland U21s in Wales today so they may be included also.
