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Fenlon: won three, drawn one and lost one since taking over at Rovers. David Maher/SPORTSFILE
Cup night

Rovers will need to get creative to beat red-hot Dundalk - Nutsy

The Hoops and Lilywhites meet in the FAI Cup quarter-finals on Friday, the first of three games in three weeks.

PAT FENLON WANTS his Shamrock Rovers players to get in tune with their creative side.

The goal-shy Hoops have only scored 34 goals in the league — the lowest of any side in the top half this season.

And Fenlon knows they need to up their strike rate as they face into a make-or-break run against a team that cannot stop scoring.

Stephen Kenny’s Dundalk top the charts with 65 league goals — 24 more than title rivals Cork City — and come into Friday’s Tallaght showdown on the back of their 5-0 stuffing of Derry.

The FAI Cup quarter-final is the first of three games in three weeks with the sides also slated to meet in the EA Sports Cup final before a potentially decisive league clash.

And Fenlon joked: “I suppose the last thing either of us want is a replay on the Monday or the Tuesday before we play again on the Saturday.”

Rovers’ league challenge fell by the wayside before Fenlon’s arrival but he’s determined to finish with some silverware and hopefully deny the Lilywhites their first league and cup double in 28 years.

Most people see it as a disappointing season so far but to get to a cup final or to get to Europe would be a massive help for us financially.

He added: “They’ve been on a fantastic run but we’ve got to make sure we match them.

“I think physically they’re very, very good but we’ve got to make sure we match that and on the day try to outfox them if we can. I’m sure they’ll be thinking the same.

“We’ve got quality players at the top of the pitch that can go and hurt teams. We’ve got to make sure that we create enough chances to do that.”

“NEW FOCUS MAN OF THE ROUND”
 
Ford are calling on all Irish football fans to vote for their “New Focus Man of the Round” at facebook.com/FordIreland after each round of this year’s FAI Cup. Every person who votes will be entered into a draw for some fantastic prizes including fuel vouchers and a HD 3DTV.
 
Facebook.com/FordIreland

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