SLIGO ROVERS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTSON is hopeful of a first win of the season tonight when his side host Finn Harps at The Showgrounds.
Rovers picked up their first point of the season on Monday night in a 1-1 draw with Galway United after losses to Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians.
Former Peterborough United manager Robertson’s brief is consolodation, but Bit O’Red supporters will surely become restless with anything less than a win in tonight’s derby.
“They will be tough to play against,” Robertson says of Harps.
“They work hard and are very well organised. That is how they got promotion last year. They have continued that rich vein of form into this year with the win on the first day. We know what to expect from them and we will pay respect to them as a team.”
Sligo will welcome Kieran Sadlier and Craig Roddan back into their squad having been suspended following red cards against Shamrock Rovers, but striker Phil Roberts sits out because of his sending off against Galway,
Roberston says: “It is good to be getting straight back out there again after Monday. It will be our fourth game in two weeks but the work we did in pre-season has us prepared for that. The pitches we have played on so far have also been a bit heavy but I walked the pitch at the Showgrounds today and it is in really good condition.
“Having that is really conducive to the passing playing style that we have. It has come good quickly and I am pleased as it suits our game.
“It is important that with any game we go into it with a winning mentality. That has to be the same for every game, week by week. We were unlucky in the first game against Shamrock Rovers, circumstances didn’t go for us and we ground out a draw with the league leaders Galway on Monday in a tough game.
“But we will only get stronger as the year goes on. The team will get better with time. We will add more flow to our game as the condition of the pitches gets better too.”
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