Rovers keen to earn title glory on their own terms

WITH two points in hand and a superior goal difference, a draw or even a defeat could still be enough to see Shamrock Rovers lift the Airtricity League of Ireland title at Bray Wanderers’ Carlisle Grounds tonight.

But Michael O’Neill is determined that his side focus only on securing the win that would render irrelevant the result of Bohemians’ game against Dundalk at Dalymount Park and bring Rovers their first championship crown since 1994, as a roller-coaster title race reaches its final night climax.

“We’re certainly a better team when we play with higher energy and we’ll try to create that tonight,” said the Hoops manager. “We’ll have a huge Rovers support in Bray and that will galvanise the players to keep the tempo up in the game. We’ll try to win the game early, we won’t sit back. We’ll pick a very attack-minded team and the intention will be to win the game.”

Keeping any chance of an upset at bay is crucial to O’Neill’s thinking, his strategy sharpened by what happened to Bohemians in Galway last week when a shock 3-2 win for the home side — coupled with Rovers’ defeat of Drogheda United — took the destiny of the title away from Bohs and put it back in the hands of the Tallaght side.

“We deserved to win against Drogheda,” says O’Neill. “We just focused on ourselves and did the job we required. Galway got the result against Bohs and nobody expected that with the players they were missing. It shows the nature of this league and it’s a warning sign to our players in terms of not taking any for granted tonight.”

On a night when striker Gary Twigg, currently on 49 goals, could reach the half century for the club, Rovers will be without the suspended Robert Bayly and have to give a late fitness test to James Chambers (ankle).

By contrast, Bray Wanderers — who have a relegation play-off looming on the horizon — find themselves in the throes of a major injury crisis.

The home side will be without four regulars and five others are doubtful for the game. Derek Prendergast (ankle), Sean Houston (thigh) and John Mulroy (hamstring) will all miss out and Danny O’Connor serves a one-match ban having reached four penalty points.

There are also doubts about Jake Kelly (hamstring), Dane Massey (shoulder), Chris Shields (knee), and Gary Shaw (hamstring).

However, director of football Pat Devlin insists his weakened side won’t be doing Rovers any favours. “All we can do is put out the strongest team available to us and do well for the club and the league,” he says.

Meanwhile, Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon will be looking for one last push from his defending champions at home to Dundalk, in the hope that they can capitalise on a any slip-up — however unlikely — by their arch-rivals in Bray.

Hamstring injuries rule out Mark Rossiter and Jason McGuinness, long-term Achilles injuries keep Anto Murphy and Steven Gray sidelined and Chris O’Connor and Mark Quigley are suspended following recent red cards.

The Bohemians-Dundalk match is live on Setanta Ireland while Bray v Rovers is live on RTÉ Two. Elsewhere on the Premier Division’s final night, Europa League qualification is still up for grabs as Sligo Rovers host St Patrick’s Athletic at the Showgrounds and Sporting Fingal look to secure their route to Europe at home to UCD. In tonight’s other game, relegated Drogheda United face Galway United, with all the final night fixtures kicking off at 7.45pm.