SOCCER/LEAGUE CUP FINAL:LAST WEEK'S meeting in the FAI Cup may have gone decisively the way of Premier Division outfit but both managers insist this evening's EA Sports-sponsored League Cup final between Sligo Rovers and Monaghan United at the Showgrounds (5.30pm) has the potential to be a rather different game.

Rovers ran out 3-0 winners last time around but Monaghan United manager Mick Cooke reckons his side played rather better than the scoreline suggests and he hopes cutting out unforced errors that he felt contributed to the three goals could pave the way to an upset.

The Dubliner is slightly better fixed in terms of the squad available to him with Paul Whelan and Ian Maher, both of whom were cup-tied last weekend, returning and Aidan Lynch, who came on as a second-half substitute after a long lay-off with injury, set to be that much closer to fully fit.

But Sligo Rovers manager Paul Cook insists his opposite number’s biggest advantage this time around will be the week he has had to plan ways of countering an approach the Rovers boss says will never change. “He’s seen the way we play and has some time to figure out the best way for his side to get the better of us,” says the Englishman who, having seen Rovers beaten by Sporting Fingal in the FAI Cup final last season, is hoping to lead the club to its first trophy in 12 years this evening.

“From our point of view, it’ll be much the same as last time. I’m not into all those mind games, we’ll have pretty much the same bunch of lads and we’ll play the same way; we’ll look to attack like we always do. I think we were well worth the win last week and hopefully it will turn out the same way for us this time.”

If Monaghan United are to spring a surprise they are going to have to find a way past a Rovers defence that kept their frontmen unusually subdued last Saturday.

The hosts expect a different, more attacking approach this time out but centre-half Gavin Peers is hoping he and his team-mates can turn in another solid performance to maintain an unbeaten run at home that stretches back over half a dozen games to the visit of Shamrock Rovers who came from behind to win after defender Gavin Peers had been sent off.

“We played well last week,” he says, “and I think if we can be as focused again this time then we have a great chance. We know it can be a very different game and we’re not taking anything for granted. It’s a one-off cup final and they’ll come to have a real go but we’ve prepared well for it and if we show the same sort of attitude we did last week then I don’t see why we can’t win.”

Peers and his team-mates are well aware of the long wait for silverware that the Rovers fans have had to endure (the League Cup in 1998) – although Monaghan fans have never seen their side lift any major prize – but first and foremost the 24-year-old wants to put the pain of last season’s defeat in Tallaght behind him.

“I’m still gutted about last year’s cup final,” he says, “and the only way to make up for that is to push on and win something this year. We’re better equipped to do it now, the manager’s brought some quality players into the squad and we have lads on the bench for every game who are well able to come in and add something.

“That’s partly why we believe this can still be a big season for us. We’ve got this and then a FAI Cup semi-final to come and we’re in contention for third place in the league. You want to be involved in everything as far into the season as you can . . . we’ve got to give it one last push, starting with this game.”