Shamrock Rovers turn focus to European ambitions following loss of title

Stephen Bradley has reiterated that his Shamrock Rovers side simply weren’t good enough to retain their Premier Division title following the league’s climax last Friday with Shelbourne crowned champions.
The Rovers manager now wants to channel that frustration into being the spur to ensuring Rovers are in Europe into the new year as they prepare to face Welsh champions The New Saints at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night.
Rovers have earned €533,000 in prize money in garnering four points to date in the newfangled league phase of the Uefa Conference League to add to the circa €4 million for reaching this stage.
Following their first ever group stage/league phase win in beating Larne 4-1 at Windsor Park last month, Rovers lie 10th in the 36-team table, comfortably placed in the ninth-24th grouping which would achieve a playoff for the round of 16.
The immediate challenge is a TNS side which has greatly impressed in their two games to date, holding Italian Serie A side Fiorentina scoreless for 65 minutes before succumbing to a 2-0 defeat in Florence in their opening match.
Currently lying second in the Cymru Premier, with two games in hand, TNS made their own piece of history when beating Astana of Kazakhstan 2-0 at their temporary base of Shrewsbury last time out to record the first win by a Welsh side at this stage of Uefa competition.
“They have a really clear identity and you can see they are really well coached,” said Bradley of the opponents. “They are a possession-based team with lots of really good, technical players.
“They have clever movement in and out of possession. They also have a lot of experience within the team, [players] who have been around the leagues in England and you can see that in how they play. They have a really good blend about them. We’re under no illusion that it’s a difficult game against a good team.”
A victory would edge Rovers close to all but guaranteeing a playoff spot, something Bradley said he had targeted from the start.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position to try and do that. Time will tell if we can. The aim is to try to win the game and if we do that, obviously we have games left which we will try to win some of them as well.
“But if we win [tonight] I’d imagine it gives us a really, really good chance of playing European football after Christmas.”
Defender Seán Kavanagh and forwards Rory Gaffney and Danny Mandroiu miss out through injury while Seán Hoare faces a late fitness check.
Striker Marc McNulty isn’t eligible having not been registered while midfielder Richie Towell will not be involved.
“We should be enjoying this level, not coming in with any trepidation,” said TNS manager Craig Harrison, the former Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace defender.
“If Rovers win they are near enough through, and if we win we’re a point or two away. I think eight points will be enough, or seven if you have a good goal difference.”