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It was a scoreless draw away at Galway on Sunday. Given Galway’s need to get at least a point to help stay away from the bottom two and a tiring week’s travel for us, were you content enough to take the point?

“Yes, I was. Parts of the performance were good, parts weren’t so good. But you have to consider everything in the week, the game, the travel and then travelling again.  Also you know you’re facing a Galway team who have all their physical players back and are a different team when they have all those back. We saw it on Sunday, they’re a handful and cause you problems. So, considering all that, you definitely take a point and move on.”

At the three-quarter stage of the league title race, we sit ten points clear. Considering we took only one point from our opening three games, we’ve done incredibly well to be ten clear but with a lot to do yet.

“The players have had to show different qualities at different points in the season until now to get where we are and they’ve done that really well. There’s been times their football has been brilliant, times we’ve had to dig in and grind out a result, which is quite normal in any league season. Sunday was a prime example. If you’d offered us this position at the start of the season, we’d have taken your hand off. We’re in a really good position, we just need to stay focussed and keep working hard. And we will.”

So, to the massive second leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round against FK Ballkani where we trail 1-0 from last week. You were disappointed with our first half levels last week but delighted at our determination to dig in and keep it at only 1-0. You’ll be looking for a strong start from us tomorrow.

“One thing you can never question about this group is their character and togetherness. They showed that in abundance last Thursday. Were our performance levels where we usually are? No, but they showed different qualities and that’s credit to them. But we know we need to be better tomorrow night if we want to win the game, there’s no doubting that. Ballkani have some good players and we saw that, so we have to be really good tomorrow night. The players are focussed, we had a little rest after Galway and they’re ready to go. So we’re looking forward to it, big European nights in Tallaght are special and we want another one tomorrow night.”

Finally on the first leg, did Ballkani play as you expected?

“Yes they did. They pressed and played how we expected. We were just off it, you could see a lot of players were slipping. That’s not an excuse that they were, but it played a part. The night before, the players were trying to get to grips with the surface in terms of was it moulded studs, or half in half, so it was a really difficult one. You could see Ballkani were used to it. It’s not an excuse for our overall performance but it was a factor. But Ballkani brought what we thought they would to the table. They were dangerous where we thought they would be and we were slightly off it, which can happen.  But as I said after the game, when you’re slightly off it but leave with a result that leaves you still in the tie, you take it. That’s what the players did, we’ve a lot to do but we’re still there.”

We’ve had some memorable European nights in Tallaght in recent years. We’ll again need real backing and encouragement tomorrow night from the home crowd with a play-off place at stake.

“We will. Hopefully we’ll get a big crowd because we need it tomorrow night. It’s up to all of us together to try and make it another special occasion in Tallaght. When you talk to fans who’ve been following this club a long long time, some of their most precious memories are European nights in Tallaght. That shows how special they are and that goes for us as well. So hopefully there’s a big crowd behind us, then it’s up to us to deliver on the pitch, which I’m sure we will.”

How did everyone come out of the Galway game and who’s unavailable for the Ballkani game?

“Everyone came out of Galway fine, a few knocks which is always normal. Graham Burke is available again which is really good, so the squad is in a good place.”