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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda United assistant manager Daire Doyle confident squad is strong enough to handle a heavy schedule
The SSE Airtricity League clubs went into the hat alongside the first-round winners at the Sport Ireland campus in Abbotstown on Thursday and with three teams left in the pot it looked like Drogheda and the team they beat in last year's final, Derry City, might be set for an immediate rematch. However, that proved not to be the case, the Drogs got the home draw they craved and Leinster Senior League outfit Crumlin - the last team to be pulled out of the hat - will be the visitors to Sullivan & Lambe Park next month. The tie will take place the week before Drogheda play the first leg of their Uefa Conference League tie - subject to the club being permitted to take their place in that competition - but Doyle doesn't seem too concerned about a potential fixture pile-up. 'I don't think having the FAI Cup will test our resources,' he said. 'We play a league match on July 4 and we don't play the following week and then the cup match is fixed for the 18th. So it's before that run of games (around the Uefa Conference League) and we will be fine as regards bodies. 'We are hoping that we can go well in the cup again. Winning it last year has been huge for the club. The strong finish we had to last season gave us momentum that we carried into this year and it put belief into the group that we have. A lot of the lads that played in the cup final are still with us.' As for the challenge posed by Crumlin, Doyle is very familiar with the Leinster Senior League as his son Jack plays for Home Farm and he feels Drogheda could be found wanting if they under-estimate the challenge Crumlin will bring. 'I think when you look at it on paper, Crumlin are a strong side and they've had some good runs in the cup in the last couple of years and they've a lot of experience there. 'They're certainly a team we won't be taking lightly and it's a potential banana skin if you don't give it your full attention and do your homework, but we're delighted that we've been drawn at home.' With that tie more than a month away, though, all thoughts of another cup run have been parked as Drogheda are now preparing for a return to league duties, starting with a trip to face St Patrick's Athletic this Friday. ADVERTISEMENT 'We've a busy run of Friday/Monday games coming up and I don't think our attentions can get away from that, so we have to focus on that and see what happens after,' said Doyle. 'It's about getting back on the pitch and focusing on the next game against St Pat's. 'We've picked up some good points on the first few months and got ourselves into a good position and the challenge for us for the rest of the season is to maintain that and push on and continue to put in them performances and if we can do that then we should be in a good position come the end of the season.'
Irish Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Stephen Bradley has his say on proposed Shelbourne clash at Aviva Stadium
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley 'would love' to play Shelbourne at Aviva Stadium next month. But he doesn't know yet if the proposed game at the Ballsbridge venue will actually go ahead on June 13. League of Ireland champions Shelbourne are strongly considering playing their first game back after the mid-season break at Aviva Stadium. Exploratory talks were taking place last week and Shels would need a crowd of over 24,000 to make it financially viable. A decision on whether to press ahead or shelve the venture is expected this week, but Bradley hopes it happens. The Hoops boss said: 'I spoke to (Shamrock Rovers CEO) John Martin on Friday and we haven't officially heard anything. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'There's obviously been talk about it and they're looking into it. I'd love to do it. Yeah, it would suit us. Of course. Playing in the Aviva. Big pitch. It would suit us.' If the Premier Division game goes ahead, it would be the second time this season that Shamrock Rovers will have played at Aviva Stadium. SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 16/2/2024 Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers Bohs' Connor Parsons and Adam Matthews of Rovers Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne They lost 1-0 there to arch rivals Bohemians on the opening weekend of the season back in February, with a crowd of 33,208 in attendance. Wherever the Shels-Rovers game takes place on June 13, all eyes will be on the managers after the spiky war of words between Damien Duff and Bradley. Meanwhile, Bradley has opened up on the recent meeting he had with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson over coffee. Earlier this year, Bradley was critical of Hallgrimsson for suggesting his Rovers players needed to move abroad to break into his Ireland squad. It was at a time when Shamrock Rovers were deep in Europe, but Hallgrimsson insisted he meant no offence and suggested face-to-face talks to clear the air. Last week, Hallgrimsson revealed he had a positive meeting with Bradley and now the Hoops boss has concurred. Bradley said: 'It was never about a personal thing. It was about respecting me, this club and this league as a whole and the players that are within it. Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson at Tallaght Stadium (Image: INPHO/Dan Sheridan) 'I'm not going to stay quiet if I feel that we're being hard done by. It was a really good conversation. We did speak about it at length and then we spoke about a lot of things. 'This team, his team, players, young players coming through, styles of play, systems, Ireland in general, Irish people with him. 'He's got really good ideas. He thinks outside of the box. What was a breath of fresh air is that he's really open to listening to people, which I thought was really important. 'It was really nice to hear because for too long it's been really closed in there and anybody asking questions, or any sort of critique of what's going on, is frowned upon.' Bradley added: 'He strikes me as someone who's really open to having good conversations, wants to listen and wants to take it forward. That's really nice to see.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
