Some away tickets remain on sale for Monday night’s match. Kick off in Sullivan and Lambe Park is 7.45pm. Coverage on LOITV.

We took the three points on Friday with a 2-0 win against Sligo, with both goals coming late in the first half. Despite Pico’s red card, it was a good night’s work.

“Yes, it was. It was difficult considering the pitch and everything else. But I thought we dealt with it all really well. I thought it should’ve been more, but we deserved to win the game.”

We have ten goals from our six games so far, with eight different scorers. Is that always a source of satisfaction that goals are coming from so many players, especially so early in the season?

“We’ve always been big on that, that we can get goals from all areas of the team. That’s key for us and always has been. It’s also nice to see it so early in the season. We just need to keep creating, we know we always create. Once we create, we’ll score.”

A stat was posted by one of our underage coaches about the Sligo game that we finished the game with two seventeen-year-olds and one eighteen, nineteen and twenty year olds and included boys who came through the Rovers Academy. That’s quite a stat and such a satisfying one for everyone at the club.

“I’ve always been proud of giving opportunities to young players. It’s really pleasing to see young players playing in the team. It’s really important we have that pathway, we’ve always had it. It’s important that we show the pathway is there. If the young players are good enough, have to right attitude and work hard, the opportunities are there. That’s really important and it’s my responsibility to provide that for the football club and our young players. You look at our young players on the pitch at the end of that Sligo game; half the team are teenagers. The learning they are getting right now in this first part of the season is so important, the different environments and different scenarios. To go to Sligo and see out a game with 10 men, there is so much learning in that for young players. Of course, we could’ve brought on more experienced players and I imagine it would’ve been the same result. But I think it’s important, when you have those opportunities, to expose those young players to different learning opportunities. You have to accept that and understand that sometimes it will go wrong, that there’ll be mistakes, but the bigger picture is that they will learn. They will become better and we will be better because of that.”

The quick turnaround sees us back on the road, this time to Drogheda. While our record there last season was excellent, Kevin Doherty’s team are a match for anyone at home.

“They are a match for anyone. While they’re coming off the back of a 4-1 defeat, if you watch the game, it’s not a true reflection of what the game was. I think that’s quite clear to see. I’m sure Drogheda would feel that and know that. We know Monday is a tough game, it always is. Drogheda are a good team and Kevin no has done a brilliant job. There’s no doubt it will be a tough game, and I wouldn’t expect anything different.”

Pico is suspended for the Drogheda game, Dan Cleary, Rory Gaffney and Danny Mandroiu remain injured, anyone else unavailable?

“We had some good news with Jake Mulraney, he had a scan as he had been a bit tight, but he got the all clear, which is great, so Jake is back involved. Everyone else is ok.”