In any league, if a team has any ambitions of progressing, they must overcome those around them. Both Keith Long and Liam Buckley will be aware of this as European contenders Sligo Rovers and Bohemians square off against each other tonight in Dalymount Park.
Last time out the Yeats County men edged their North Western rival Finn Harps in a scrappy encounter at the Showgrounds, thanks to an opportunistic goal from teenage substitute Johnny Kenny. The win was enough for Sligo to leapfrog Harps into the Europa League places.
The Bit O’ Red will be hoping for more of the same this time around, as they aim to keep their unbeaten start to the season going. With players like Walter Figueira, Jordan Gibson and Romeo Parkes in good form in the early parts of the season, the visitors will be disappointed to come away from this one empty-handed.
After a shaky start to the season, Bohs are beginning to look like the side that finished second last season after two wins in-a-row.
The Gypsies had a comfortable 1-nil victory in Waterford last week, as they controlled possession and denied their hosts any real opportunity to get on the scoreboard.
While Bohs had the lion’s share of the ball, that enabled players like Ali Coote and Liam Burt to make surging runs at the Waterford rear-guard; they were unable to make their dominance count on the scoreboard, with their only goal coming from a rebound off a long-range free-kick.
Playing against stronger opposition such as Sligo, Bohs will need to show more invention and be more clinical in possession, if they have any ambition of extending their winning run to three on the bounce.
Although a loss for either side would be far from disastrous, it’s a game that both could do with winning.
A victory would consolidate Sligo’s position in the top three and put some real daylight between them and Bohs.
On the other hand, a win for the hosts would keep them in touching distance of the league’s pacesetters. Taking all of this into account a draw looks to be the most likely result.
