“If you get the right draws and right results you find yourself all of a sudden in a semi-final. It’s a very important game from the club’s perspective,” he added.

Looking back to Friday’s Dublin derby, Callaghan believes a draw was the least his side deserved having proved more than a match for their more illustrious opponents for large periods of the game.

Callaghan added:  “It’s chalk and cheese in terms of the personnel at the moment. We put it up to them on Friday and we fully deserved our point if not the three.

“The group that we work with, every day in training they work their socks off. Their attitude for the cause has been absolutely superb all season.

“We’ve had some tough games and we’re still a work in progress. I keep telling people I’m not trying to build a team, I’m trying to build a club and you can’t build a club overnight.

“It takes a bit of time to develop those young kids. But they’re growing in stature. Lukey Byrne I thought was absolutely brilliant on Friday alongside Dave Mulcahy, who got man of the match. You could have given it to five or six of our lads.

“Michael Scott came on for his debut. You could see the difference with what Rovers were bringing off the bench.”

With a congested fixture list, Callaghan expects “to rotate one or two players”  and his squad is boosted by the return of defender Roberto Lyons and striker Chris Lyons, who both missed Friday’s game through suspension.

But Keith Buckley – one of the star performers in Tallaght – misses out as he serves the first of a two-match ban having been sent off in last week’s 1-0 defeat against UCD.

NOTE: Members can attend this game for the reduced price of €5.

“I thought we were the better side against Cork for most of the match. Tommy Dunne [Cork City manager] said to me after the match they had got out of jail.

“Against UCD one or two contentious decisions swung the match. Those games turned on slight errors.”

Motivating the players has not been an issue but a derby match against Shamrock Rovers represents a particular challenge. “The magnitude of the game speaks for itself, given the past encounters between the sides. But I don’t do the history side of things. Every game is taken on its merits,” said Callaghan.

“Shamrock Rovers have shown what they can achieve when they’re on form. If we’re not 100 per cent on the night it’s going to be very difficult.”

Bohemians’ 1-0 win in Tallaght last September marked 19-year-old Greg Murray’s second league appearance in goal for Bohemians and, on Friday, he is likely to make his first league start this season. Dean Delany’s groin injury will probably rule him out after 13 successive league starts.

This is one of several enforced changes to the Bohemian line-up, as striker Chris Lyons and defender Roberto Lopes, both of them central to the team’s endeavours this season, are suspended.

The 3-5-2 formation used in recent games is likely to be set aside and Callaghan will consider the claims of Dwayne Wilson, Kevin Devaney and Dave Scully to start up-front or in a position just off the furthest forward.

Lopes was rested against Cork City after starting all 12 league games in the season up to that. “I knew the suspension was coming and the rest won’t do him any harm,” said his manager.

Looking forward to next Monday’s EA Sports Cup match at home to Bray Wanderers, Callaghan insisted that “the plan for the season was to win a trophy and this is a trophy we could win”.

“If you get the right draws and right results you find yourself all of a sudden in a semi-final. It’s a very important game from the club’s perspective,” he added.

The manager expects “to rotate one or two players” but is hoping that there are no injuries coming out of Friday’s match that require more changes than that.

“I thought we were very poor first half, we stood off UCD and allowed them to dictate the play. But second half I thought we were the better side, and we definitely had a couple of decisions go against us. I did have a chat with the referee after the game, and he said he didn’t see the penalty incident.”

Callaghan was pleased with the fact that referee Padraigh Sutton was open enough to talk to the Gypsies’ boss about the incidents, which also included a disallowed Kevin Devaney goal. “I had a good chat with Padraigh after the game, and it was the first time in a long time that a referee has allowed me to come in and talk to them. I think that the communication process with the referees has to improve. When you can go in and chat about a few of the incidents and they explain why they gave a particular call, it’s much more open and satisfying for me. I can air a few opinions and we can move on”.

Callaghan also called on the Gypsies’ players to keep their discipline after Keith Buckley’s late red card against the Students. “Discipline is important at any stage of the season. It’s something we stress to the lads prior to every game, you’ve got to keep your heads in certain situations. It’s hard to take some of the decisions but, in fairness to the referees, they don’t go out there to intentionally make those decisions.”

Looking ahead to Cork City on Friday, Callaghan is peering up the table rather than down — the Leesiders are just a point ahead of Bohs in the Premier Division. “They’ve assembled quite a decent squad but a couple of results have gone against them, they’ve conceded late goals here and there. We know if we win the game we go above them, which is a great incentive for the players. It was disappointing that our run came to an end, but we’ve got to get back on the bike and kick on.”

The Bohs boss also went into detail about the 3-5-2 formation implemented in the last few games, and the attacking threat that the system gives. “The thinking behind it is to create more opportunities, which I think it does. We scored three times against Bray, twice at Drogheda, and once away to St Pat’s by playing the system. What it does is throw more men forward. As with every attacking system, it does leave gaps, but we’ve been working on ways to counter-act that. The idea was to get more goals, and if we win games 3-2 I’ll be quite happy. Not only does it entertain the fans, but we can also hopefully get the three points.”

For Friday’s game Bohs will be without the suspended Keith Buckley but have no serious injury concerns. Captain Owen Heary returned to the starting line-up on Tuesday after a long lay-off, while Stephen Traynor was back on the bench following a surgical procedure.

“Coming back from goals behind two games in a row shows real character,” Callaghan added.

Owen Heary, who made it to the bench last Friday after a month on the sidelines with a knee injury, looks set to return to action. Stephen Traynor is also available after a long lay-off. Derek Pender will have a late fitness test for a strain.

“We will have to prepare really well for UCD. They beat Shamrock Rovers at home. They are performing well and their fitness levels are always good,” said Callaghan.

The Bohemian manager returns to one of his former clubs with a squad that includes recent UCD players Ciaran Nangle and Chris Lyons, who celebrates his 20th birthday on Wednesday.

In the last 12 league meetings between the sides, UCD have won only once. However, last February they defeated Bohemians in the Leinster Senior Cup through a Ciaran Nangle own goal in the last minute of extra time.

In March, Chris Lyons scored penalties in successive games when Bohs avenged that defeat with two victories in three days over UCD in the league and in the EA Sports Cup.

“With so many changes, and so many younger players coming in, I was over the moon to get that result”.

With four of the most experienced players unable to play, even more responsibility than usual fell on Dave Mulcahy and goalkeeper Dean Delany. The No. 1 was, in Callaghan’s view, “exceptional, making three or four fantastic saves towards the end” and Mulcahy’s was rated by his manager as “one of the best individual performances I have seen in the league”.

Bohemians are well aware that Drogheda United have proven very difficult to beat. Last season, Bohemians had one draw and three defeats in league and league cup encounters with the Drogs. Just a month after Friday’s match, Bohs face Drogheda again in the FAI Cup.

“We’ve got to respect them and we’ll do our usual analysis on how they are playing but we have to concentrate on our own performance and on our shape,” said Callaghan.

“We’re getting more players forward, which has certainly helped us. We looked dangerous on the break against Pat’s. As much as they had chances to win it, we definitely had one or two chances to nick it.”

Bohemians secured their point last Monday with 19-year-old Conor O’Brien making his league debut, and 19-year-olds Andy Mulligan and Michael Barker starting for just the second time.

Callaghan has now started 22 players from his squad and it is likely he will have to draw on more, as Stephen Paisley has left the squad due to work commitments outside football and Darragh Hanaphy is on a temporary break also due to work commitments.

With Paisley off the payroll, Aaron Callaghan has some flexibility in his modest budget and is looking to bring in a striker.

For Friday, Owen Heary (knee) remains sidelined, while Derek Pender (bruised ribs) and Dave Scully (hamstring) face late fitness tests before Friday’s game.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 17-year-old Adam Kelly is now training with the senior squad. He joins defender Michael Scott, just turned 19, who has taken the squad number 23 vacated by the departing Niall Forrester.