SLIGO ROVERS v BOHEMIANS
SSE Airtricity League, The Showgrounds, Monday 8 September, 7.45pm
Just five points separate fifth-placed Sligo Rovers and ninth-placed Bohemians as the sides go head to head at the Showgrounds on Monday evening.
Bohs claimed their third home league win in a row with a 2-1 victory against Bray Wanderers on Friday night and with another game in hand, boss Owen Heary is hoping that another positive result can prove a springboard to climb into the top half of the table.
“Friday’s result keeps us safe,” said Heary. “We can now start looking at the teams ahead of us and not be worrying about the teams behind us.
“We’ve two games in hand on most teams. We want to win those and we want to go and try and finish ahead of the likes of Sligo.”
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With one eye on Friday’s Ford FAI Cup quarter-final against St Patrick’s Athletic, Heary acknowledges the need to make changes but is adamant he will send out a side capable of winning all three points.
“It’s not an ideal time to have a game,” he said. “We’ve a massive cup game on Friday away to the league champions.
“But the team we put out in Sligo can’t allow that to distract them. The starting XI we put out will be good enough to go there and try to win.
“The players have confidence now and we’ve shown we are well capable of beating the top teams. We want that to continue.
“We don’t sit back – we want to get on the front foot, be positive and take games to the opposition as we have done.”
One enforced change will see Eoin Wearen watch the game from the stands as he serves a ban for a red card picked up against Bray on Friday.
“It was a silly red card,” added Heary. “It was a moment of madness but there is no point in us going on about it.
“He’s gutted with himself so as a team, we will rally behind him.
“Win, lose or draw, we do it as a team, so we will all get behind him and pick him back up.”
Heary is also without young defender Stephen Best (ankle) as well as long-term absentees Dano Byrne (cruciate) and Anto Murphy (ankle).
