Stephen Bradley hopes Shamrock Rovers can bounce back from rare slip

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley following the SSE Airtricity League defeat to Dundalk on Friday. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Accepting their record 33-game unbeaten league run had to end sometime, Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley just wished it hadn’t arrived at rivals Dundalk last Friday.

“The players deserve tremendous credit for that run — it’s never been done and I don’t think we’ll see something like that again,” said Bradley, who insists he will not dwell on the 2-1 defeat ahead of tonight’s top-of-the-table clash with Sligo Rovers.

“If you said to me before the game that we’d hit the woodwork three times and have one cleared off the line at the end, we’d take that in terms of we were creating chances and were playing well,” he said. “Overall, I thought we controlled the game and should win.”

The champions’ first defeat of the season means Sligo, who beat Longford Town 2-0 on Friday, move to within two points of Hoops ahead of visiting Dublin.

Bradley hopes to have midfielder Chris McCann back, though Dylan Watts and Neil Farrugia remain out injured while captain Ronan Finn and Graham Burke are doubts. Defender Sean Hoare is suspended.

This evening’s other big match sees Dundalk visit Dalymount Park to face Bohemians, who were unlucky to lose at St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday night.

Tonight’s fixtures (7.45pm unless stated): Premier Division: Bohemians v Dundalk (5.45pm); Derry City v St Patrick’s Athletic (5.45pm); Drogheda United v Longford Town; Shamrock Rovers v Sligo Rovers; Waterford v Finn Harps.