Sport

Bradley believes home European form can keep Shamrock Rovers in the Group F shake-up

‘If we win our next two games it’s all to play for going to Djurgardens’

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley and centre back Roberto Lopes at a press conference ahead of the Europa Conference League match against Molde at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Thu Oct 13 2022 - 06:00

Europa Conference League Group F: Shamrock Rovers v Molde FK, Tallaght Stadium, 8.0 – Live on Virgin Media Two

Shamrock Rovers will cling to home comforts as they look to kick-start their flagging Europa Conference League hopes at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night.

Stephen Bradley’s side sit bottom of Group F with just one point from three games.

And while their away performances have been disappointing, suffering 3-0 defeats at Gent and then Molde last week, they remain unbeaten at home this season, including holding group leaders Djurgårdens IF to a scoreless draw on match night one.

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Indeed, it’s 32 matches in total going back to August last year since Rovers last lost in Tallaght, Flora Tallinn marking their exit from Europe.

“Yes, I think we can,” said manager Bradley of Rovers’ tenuous aspirations of making the top two.

“If we win our next two games it’s all to play for going to Djurgardens. But we have to take care of a difficult game tomorrow night and obviously against Gent.

“Both away games we lost quite comfortably. So we know we have to go some if we want to win them. But if we win both of them we’re right there, because the group is really tight.”

His manager’s sentiments are echoed by central defender Roberto Lopes, back from a knee injury and looking to start his first game in almost three months.

“Yes, definitely,” said Lopes who played 20 minutes in Molde last week before a further 45 in Sunday’s last-gasp league win over Shelbourne.

“I think we felt that once the draw was made it was going to be a tough group. The results to date have shown that.

“We feel that if we can use our home form to our advantage and get two wins here in the next two games we have a chance to make a statement in the group.”

Having lost and drawn before beating Rovers last week, Molde, seen by Bradley as the group favourites, arrive with a bit to do to qualify themselves.

Fifteen points clear with five games to play, they’re on the cusp of sealing the Norwegian Eliteserien, so they come to Dublin 24 fully focused on asserting themselves in the pool.

“We know we didn’t get the best start in this group so we need to win,” said Molde manager Erling Moe, insisting his side won’t change their approach from the first meeting.

“It will be a Molde team that takes care of the ball and produces some chances that hopefully we take tomorrow. But I think it will be more difficult than it was last week.”

Rovers wait on wing back Andy Lyons who is nursing a knock while Simon Power and Chris McCann remain out.