PREVIEW: LIMERICK v BOHEMIANS (Tuesday April 16, Thomond Park, 7.45pm)
Bohemians face their nearest rivals in the league table when they play Limerick FC at Thomond Park on Tuesday.
This first match in 11 days starts an intensive round of games for Bohemians, with seven over the next 24 days.
Manager Aaron Callaghan is apprehensive about the impact on the players of matches following each other so closely. “I never got a call on the scheduling. The matches just seem to be arranged and there’s no discussion.
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“But we’ve got to go and we’ve got to play. We’ll just have to call on the full squad if necessary.”
Callaghan’s squad had a friendly against Irish Universities since their last league game. “It was a good competitive game and we won it very well, plus we got a full game for a lot of lads who haven’t played for a while.”
The squad have also worked hard on correcting what caused the home defeats by Sligo Rovers and Derry City. “We played well in those games for long periods, passing the ball well,” said Callaghan. “But it’s keeping the concentration that matters. A few key moments have cost us.”
The Bohemian manager notes that Limerick’s form has been similar to his own team’s, dropping points by narrow margins.
“They have been getting a lot of draws, and they came back with a late goal in their last match.
“They seem to be finding their way in this league but they’ve brought in some experienced players and they carry goal-scoring threats. We will need to be at our best to get a result.”
Bohemians will be without striker Chris Lyons (ankle) and captain Owen Heary (knee) on Tuesday, though Lyons may make it back for the following game.
