ALL OF A sudden, there is the distinct possibility that this League of Ireland season is about to experience a dramatic conclusion.
Not even a month ago, it felt like Shamrock Rovers were on the verge of another Premier Division stampede while enjoying the chance to traipse around Europe and continue their adventures in the league phase of the Conference League for the third campaign in a row.
They sat comfortably atop the league table – they’re still there now – and then looked a cut above Egnatia of Albania in the first leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier. They took a 3-1 lead from Dublin and the fact it could have been more did not mark it out as a return leg to be wary of.
Stephen Bradley described what happened next as the worst performance of his 10 years in charge, a stunning capitulation which saw them concede four goals in the first half and eventually lose 5-1.
Their descent into a maddening European haze came to a tragicomic conclusion away in Finland on Thursday when a Graham Burke own goal was enough to see KuPS progress into Europe’s third tier.
Stephen Bradley (centre) with captain Pico Lopes (left) and Graham Burke. INPHO / Mika Kylmaniemi
INPHO / Mika Kylmaniemi / Mika Kylmaniemi
Just to compound matters for Rovers, Ararat-Armenia, who they beat 2-1 in Tallaght in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier, have made it into the Europa League.
That is the stage Bradley was hoping his side were ready to reach after three Conference League campaigns in four years. Instead, he was left to rue the kind of mistakes he felt should only be made by a side beginning to make their way at this level.
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The Dubliner was adamant in the aftermath of that KuPS defeat that Rovers will not suffer a hangover in the league. “We’ll be ready. We’ve been here before and have qualified for groups quite a number of times, we haven’t qualified quite a number of times. We understand this is disappointing, obviously, but we will be ready to go for Sunday,” he said.
“This is a special group. We’ve been doing what we’ve been doing domestically and in Europe, they are a special group of people. We are all in it together.”
St Pat's boss Stephen Kenny after a win over Shelbourne. Andrew Conan / INPHO
Andrew Conan / INPHO / INPHO
The onus is on St Patrick’s Athletic, possibly even Bohemians, to prove that is the case.
By the time Rovers face Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Sunday, both Pat’s and Bohs must ensure they maintain pressure by beating Waterford and Sligo Rovers, respectively. The latter are bottom of the table, while the Blues are just a point clear of the promotion/relegation playoff spot.
Too often this season, Stephen Kenny and Alan Reynolds’ sides have not been able to take advantage of Rovers’ slip ups by putting the pressure on. It feels as though the Hoops are at their most vulnerable right now.
Champions seize their moment and are capable of going in for the kill. Rovers have done it enough times under Bradley, and with the league leaders visiting Richmond Park on 11 September, it is shaping up to be a tasty couple of weeks.
Their game in hand is sandwiched in between against Shelbourne next Friday, so the picture will be much clearer by the time Pat’s and Rovers face off for the final time this season.
Ryan Sheridan (left) and Sam Rooney. Will Morgan / INPHO
Will Morgan / INPHO / INPHO
Could it be a night where the Inchicore club actually seize the initiative and go top?
Their most recent meeting was in the FAI Cup earlier this month, a tie that saw two teenagers steal the headlines for Kenny’s side. Sam Rooney, a Tallaght native who will sit his Leaving Cert in classes filled with Rovers fans, scored the winner in extra time, but it was the overall performance of Ryan Sheridan that really caught the eye.
He came off the bench in the 88th minute against Drogheda United, but made the most of his cameo with an impressive assist for Barry Baggley’s goal in stoppage time.
Sheridan will come on the radar of a lot more people later this year when the Republic of Ireland take part in the Under-17 World Cup. They’re in a group with Brazil, Costa Rica and Tanzania, and the graceful midfielder is expected to star alongside Victor Ozhianvuna.
Ozhianvuna is Arsenal-bound from Rovers, of course, after that €2 million transfer was agreed for when he turns 18 in January. Sheridan will most likely still be at St Pat’s by then, and his development, along with the ambitions of the club that needs European football, is a delicate balancing act.
Former St Pat's midfielder Keith Fahey. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Nottingham Forest have expressed interest in a player some at Pat’s feel is the most athletic in that position since Keith Fahey.
When it comes to Sheridan’s dynamism, mobility and reaction speeds, there are few in the Pat’s first team who can match the Meath native. As well as his ability on the ball, they are the kind of traits that set him apart from his peers and are making other clubs take notice.
Like Rooney, he will also sit his Leaving Cert in this school year and will not follow the same path taken by Sam Curtis and Mason Melia, who both dropped out of education before 6th Year to train full-time ahead of making the move to England.
These are some of the dynamics at play in the background for emerging stars who could yet play a key role in a title race that is not quite done and dusted yet.
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New lease of life for a League of Ireland season that might just have a title race after all
ALL OF A sudden, there is the distinct possibility that this League of Ireland season is about to experience a dramatic conclusion.
Not even a month ago, it felt like Shamrock Rovers were on the verge of another Premier Division stampede while enjoying the chance to traipse around Europe and continue their adventures in the league phase of the Conference League for the third campaign in a row.
They sat comfortably atop the league table – they’re still there now – and then looked a cut above Egnatia of Albania in the first leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier. They took a 3-1 lead from Dublin and the fact it could have been more did not mark it out as a return leg to be wary of.
Stephen Bradley described what happened next as the worst performance of his 10 years in charge, a stunning capitulation which saw them concede four goals in the first half and eventually lose 5-1.
Their descent into a maddening European haze came to a tragicomic conclusion away in Finland on Thursday when a Graham Burke own goal was enough to see KuPS progress into Europe’s third tier.
Just to compound matters for Rovers, Ararat-Armenia, who they beat 2-1 in Tallaght in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier, have made it into the Europa League.
That is the stage Bradley was hoping his side were ready to reach after three Conference League campaigns in four years. Instead, he was left to rue the kind of mistakes he felt should only be made by a side beginning to make their way at this level.
The Dubliner was adamant in the aftermath of that KuPS defeat that Rovers will not suffer a hangover in the league. “We’ll be ready. We’ve been here before and have qualified for groups quite a number of times, we haven’t qualified quite a number of times. We understand this is disappointing, obviously, but we will be ready to go for Sunday,” he said.
“This is a special group. We’ve been doing what we’ve been doing domestically and in Europe, they are a special group of people. We are all in it together.”
The onus is on St Patrick’s Athletic, possibly even Bohemians, to prove that is the case.
By the time Rovers face Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Sunday, both Pat’s and Bohs must ensure they maintain pressure by beating Waterford and Sligo Rovers, respectively. The latter are bottom of the table, while the Blues are just a point clear of the promotion/relegation playoff spot.
Too often this season, Stephen Kenny and Alan Reynolds’ sides have not been able to take advantage of Rovers’ slip ups by putting the pressure on. It feels as though the Hoops are at their most vulnerable right now.
Champions seize their moment and are capable of going in for the kill. Rovers have done it enough times under Bradley, and with the league leaders visiting Richmond Park on 11 September, it is shaping up to be a tasty couple of weeks.
Their game in hand is sandwiched in between against Shelbourne next Friday, so the picture will be much clearer by the time Pat’s and Rovers face off for the final time this season.
Could it be a night where the Inchicore club actually seize the initiative and go top?
Their most recent meeting was in the FAI Cup earlier this month, a tie that saw two teenagers steal the headlines for Kenny’s side. Sam Rooney, a Tallaght native who will sit his Leaving Cert in classes filled with Rovers fans, scored the winner in extra time, but it was the overall performance of Ryan Sheridan that really caught the eye.
He came off the bench in the 88th minute against Drogheda United, but made the most of his cameo with an impressive assist for Barry Baggley’s goal in stoppage time.
Sheridan will come on the radar of a lot more people later this year when the Republic of Ireland take part in the Under-17 World Cup. They’re in a group with Brazil, Costa Rica and Tanzania, and the graceful midfielder is expected to star alongside Victor Ozhianvuna.
Ozhianvuna is Arsenal-bound from Rovers, of course, after that €2 million transfer was agreed for when he turns 18 in January. Sheridan will most likely still be at St Pat’s by then, and his development, along with the ambitions of the club that needs European football, is a delicate balancing act.
Nottingham Forest have expressed interest in a player some at Pat’s feel is the most athletic in that position since Keith Fahey.
When it comes to Sheridan’s dynamism, mobility and reaction speeds, there are few in the Pat’s first team who can match the Meath native. As well as his ability on the ball, they are the kind of traits that set him apart from his peers and are making other clubs take notice.
Like Rooney, he will also sit his Leaving Cert in this school year and will not follow the same path taken by Sam Curtis and Mason Melia, who both dropped out of education before 6th Year to train full-time ahead of making the move to England.
These are some of the dynamics at play in the background for emerging stars who could yet play a key role in a title race that is not quite done and dusted yet.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
League of Ireland LOI Soccer THE BEAT