Tickets remain on sale for the UEFA Conference League tie in Tallaght Stadium this Thursday. Secure your seat at European football now.

In advance of the tie, Stephen Bradley spoke to shamrockrovers.ie

We’re still looking for that point to clinch the title after we lost 1-0 last Friday to St Patrick’s Athletic. Were there similarities in the game with the game the week before against Shelbourne which we also lost 1-0.

“I thought we were better against St Pat’s. Some of our play was really good, some of it wasn’t so good, but we definitely had opportunities to get at least a point. On another night we score from those opportunities. Then Simon Power scores that goal for them, he probably hasn’t hit one of those for a long time. Sometimes that just happens, but we’re disappointed we’ve lost the game. We don’t like losing games, regardless of where we are or at what point in the season. It’s very unlike us and something we need to correct.”

Was there a feeling afterwards from the group that we’re just not getting the rub of the green around the goal at the moment and despite being without key players, we’ve played well in much of those two games?

“We know what we’re doing well and know where we need to improve. We know the group has been disjointed in recent weeks, but there are no excuses. It is what it is and those are the joys of a football season, it brings different challenges. But if you’re not going to win the game, don’t lose the game and we’ve been brilliant at that. The last two weeks that hasn’t been the case so we need to get back to that.”

So, we move on as always with the prospect of our UEFA Conference League phase game at home to Celje. Do you ever tire of European nights in Tallaght?

“No, definitely not, I think the day you tire of European nights in Tallaght, that’s the day you step aside and let someone else take it on. These are special occasions, we can’t get bored of this and we want more of it. We want this every year and it’s our job to make that happen. It’s exciting, we’re playing against Celje,  a really good team who’ve changed things a lot. They’re unrecognisable to the team we played in 2024 and it’s clear to see they’re a good team. These are exciting challenges.”

For the second year in a row, we face Celje. That’s where the similarities stop. Is it fair to say a league phase one-off game is a lot different to the two-legged tie we faced in 2024 and furthermore, Rieira has a vastly different group to the one he had last year and beat AEK Athens 3-1 in their opening game.

“Only two of their starting eleven are still there, so they’ve changed completely. If you look back after we beat them, they went really deep in Europe last season and along the way have been changing players quite regularly. Their squad is unrecognisable to the one we played so it’s a different challenge. Celje still play in a similar way with similar characteristics, but the manager is still the same (Albert Rieira), but they have better players and are a better team.”

It was great to get Lee Grace back in action against St Pats, Pico Lopes will return after the joyful arrival of his son Diego. How are Danny Grant and Josh Honohan and anyone else unavailable?

“Josh is good, he’s back in. Lee didn’t feel anything after last Friday, so he’s fine, Pico is back in too. I’m hoping it’ll be next week for Danny Grant, whether it’s the Galway or Sligo game, we’ll see. Aaron Greene picked up a knock last week so he’s out, but other than that we’re all good.”