Reds return from summer break with Rovers derby at Tolka | OneFootball

The Reds return to action tonight as they welcome Shamrock Rovers to Tolka Park in the SSE Airtricity League Men’s Premier Division, in what will be Shels first game back following the summer break.

Joey O’Brien’s side will be looking to restart the league campaign with a strong performance in front of a packed Tolka Park, with the break having offered the group a chance to reset, recover and refocus ahead of a crucial second half of the season.

Speaking to ShelsTV after training at the AUL on Thursday, O’Brien said the break came at a good time for the squad:

“It came at a good time from an injury point of view. Some lads got away and needed it, they’ve played a lot of games. In that month of May we played seven games and were unbeaten in seven. Overall, the performance levels were really good in the games. Like anything, we feel we left a few points behind, but Rovers at home, it’s a great game to start the second half of the season.”

O’Brien believes there is still a lot to play for in the second half of the campaign, with several players continuing to work their way back towards full fitness.

“There’s a history in this group of the second half of the season being better than the first, and a lot of teams can probably say the same,” he said. “We’ve never had our full strength team on the pitch. Going forward, with the long term lads getting back in and back up to speed, there’s a lot to play for in the second half of the season. It’s a super squad.”

Attention now turns to one of the biggest fixtures in the league calendar, with Shamrock Rovers making the short trip across Dublin for what is always a bitterly fought derby. With Tolka Park heading for a sell out, O’Brien is expecting another high intensity clash.

“These games, with a sell out and a great atmosphere in the ground, that makes the game,” he said. “They’re tight and competitive, and they’ve been belters of games. Two good sides, tight games, and there have been some very exciting games here. It adds to the drama a bit, but it doesn’t need much added to it.”

The previous meetings between the sides have reflected Shels season in many ways, with strong spells of play mixed with moments O’Brien knows his side must improve on.

“We were 2-0 up at home and started really well,” he said. “Looking back at the two games, they were probably a mirror into our season. There was a lot of good stuff, but really awful goals we gave away. When you do that against a team like Rovers, you don’t get away with it. The two games have been tight, and for us it’s about looking at those moments and improving.”

O’Brien also said the group has spoken about recent changes to the laws of the game, with players aware they will need to adjust quickly once games resume.

“We touched on it and the lads are aware,” he said. “It’s difficult until you’re in a game and you see how they’re enforced straight off the bat. Some of the lads have been in that place before with things like substitutions and players being forced off, so they’re aware of it.”

On the team news front, Kerr McInroy will miss Friday night’s game after undergoing a minor operation on his knee, though the outlook is more positive than first feared. JJ Lunney and Sean Gannon return from suspension, while James Norris and Odhran Casey continue to make progress in their recoveries.

“Kerr is out of action. He’s had a minor op on his knee,” O’Brien said. “We feared the worst, but it’s not as bad as first feared. We hope to have him back over the coming weeks. JJ and Ganno were suspended last time out, but they’re back in. Chuck and Odhran are working away and back on the grass. It’s great to get the long term lads back on the pitch and hopefully start to reintroduce them to minutes over the coming weeks.”