LONGFORD TOWN v BOHEMIANS
SSE Airtricity League, Dalymount Park, Saturday 2 July, 7.30pm
Unbeaten in five games in all competitions, Bohemians fans are starting to look up the table again.
Bohs were something of a surprise package last year in Keith Long’s first season in charge, finishing fifth having been in contention for a European place until the last game.
The Gypsies haven’t hit the same heights this season.
But after putting a six-game run without a league win behind them, Bohs currently sit ninth but are just five points off fifth and looking to improve.
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Long said: “Our ambition at the start of the season was to consolidate and hopefully build on last year’s position.
“That is still our ambition but we can’t spend our time distracting ourselves by looking at the table. Ultimately it’s the same each week – we have got to go out and try win our next game.
“It’s not going to be easy. We have to work hard and give a performance.”
Saturday’s opposition Longford Town are just a point adrift at the bottom of the table but have not won since the opening day of the season.
Regardless of going 15 league games without victory, Long is not taking the trip to the Midlands for granted.
He said: “It doesn’t matter who you play in this league, every team is capable of giving you a game.
“They’re down the bottom of the table, they know they need to start winning and they will be scrapping for points.
“Tony Cousins will have them throwing the kitchen sink at us and we have to be prepared for that.”
Last Friday’s 1-1 draw with Galway United after the mid-season break extended Bohs’ unbeaten run but Long felt it was a missed opportunity to claim all three points.
He added: “The danger after three weeks without a game is that you don’t come into a game at full tilt.
“But in fairness, we had trained hard, we did start brightly and should have gone 2-0 ahead, which would have been a different game.
“But after that initial spell of 20 minutes, Galway came back into it and equalised.
“We made changes in the second half and in the last 25 minutes, we looked like the only team who could win it and a decent shout for a penalty too.”
Bohs are once again without Jake Kelly (shoulder) but he has been given the all-clear to return to training. Dave Mulcahy (virus) is a doubt.
