Simon Power set to miss Sligo Rovers’ trip to Drogheda after picking up groin injury in Galway draw

The former Shamrock Rovers attacker had just returned from a three game suspension on Monday when he went in on a tackle, and ended up injuring himself – a challenge he was booked for in the end.

Speaking ahead of the game against Drogheda, manager John Russell has confirmed he will miss Friday’s game, as at the time of speaking he was still waiting for a scan.

This is Sligo Newsletter

Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Sligo newsletter direct to your inbox.

This field is required

Sign Up

Please check your inbox to verify your details

"He hasn’t had his scan yet, we’re hoping that will be today or tomorrow. He’ll be out for the game against Drogheda. Disappointing for him because he was out suspended for three games, and you could see he was such an attacking threat on Monday night but it was just an awkward tackle that he went in and he felt his groin.

"We’ll have to wait and see. Max came off on the Friday night and he was OK to play on Monday, and Fabrice is the same. The three games in a week is always tough on players, that quick turnaround, so we’ll have to do late fitness tests on the guys.”

Kevin Doherty’s side finished four points ahead of the Bit O’Red in the table last year, and Rovers didn’t manage to beat them once in their five meetings (one in the FAI Cup).

In their opening ten games, the Drogs have won just once, but Russell knows they are more than capable of turning that around.

“They’ve brought in really good players, they’ve shopped outside the league as well. Their results so far, they’re competitive in all of the games as all the teams are. It’s a tough venue for us at, is it Weavers Park now it’s called, it changes every year or two, they’re a decent side but I feel we’ve got good players and if we’re at our best hopefully we’ll get a result."

In the one and only meeting between the two sides so far this year, Rovers were 3-1 winners as Max Mata scored a brace and Wilson Waweru’s backheel lit up The Showgrounds.

But, Russell warned that Drogheda caused his side plenty of problems that night and can do that again this time round.

“I think from the goals we scored that night, the three were unbelievable team goals that show the potential of the group here and the connections that the players have and I think anyone watching the highlights package would say we were outstanding but Drogheda were good on the night.

"The first 20 minutes we actually struggled in the game and they have a style of play that you have to respect and deal with, they had a couple of chances from set plays on the night, they ended up scoring from a corner, a second or third phase so we know it’s going to be a tough game especially up in their home patch.

"We did struggle against them last year, but I feel we learned an awful lot from those games and we adjusted for the first game this year.”

A win can bring a team further up the table, as we have seen so far this year, with Rovers in second place after beating Waterford and now sitting in seventh place.

"It’s still very early, you look at where Bohs were and where they are now. Even Dundalk, after playing them on Friday night, they have the capability of putting two or three wins together and we’re the same.

"We’ve got really good players here and we’ve shown that, when we’re at our best, we can match any team. It’s just getting that consistency and I suppose the rub of the green – a lot of decisions went against us last weekend in terms of penalty shouts – and it’s so hard to get three points in the league but you see the difference when you do back to back, you jump up two or three spots. It’s going to be a tight season and everyone will be right in the mix until the end.”

And Russell feels that his players are picking up draws this season in games that perhaps they would have lost last year.

“There’s definitely a defensive steeliness about us. The players we’ve brought in, Ed McGinty the goalkeeper, he’s been brilliant for us but our back four Reece, JR, I know we lost Nando but he was playing brilliantly at the start of the season but Ollie Denham and Charlie Wiggett have come in from the UK and settled in really well and quickly to the league.

"To win, or not lose, games you’ve got to keep clean sheets and we’ve shown that we’ve got that in us this year. Even away to Waterford we went down to 10 men when we were 1-0 and we dug in and hung on, that’s a really good sign, long may that continue.”

Defender Reece Hutchinson added: “Last year, those sort of games we would have lost. To get two draws is quite good, especially (when you consider) the Galway threat, and Dundalk you can’t take them lightly. Every game is tough in this league. We got back to the way we want to play and the style that we’re looking at. It makes it more enjoyable.”

Set plays have been referenced by Russell after a number of games this season.

Defensively, he’s been pleased with how his side have handled set plays by their opposition, but when it comes to their own set plays, he has not been pleased.

“I think offensively our set plays need to be better, the players know that. I think it’s down to the individual quality delivering the ball, it’s not beating the first man, you have to put the ball into the areas. That’s been frustrating.

"There’s other games where our set plays have been good. So many games are decided on a free-kick, a corner or a penalty. Defensively I’d be happy with where we’ve been, there’s one or two games we’ve got caught out but we’ve adjusted, you have to learn from previous games. We’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

It’s a quick turnaround for Rovers who are playing their third game in a week, with another double header next weekend. And Hutchinson says it’s all about recovering right.

“It’s about recovering as best we can. The last time it was two away games, I feel like the players were feeling it against St Pats. This time around I feel like the two home games felt, we looked like we had more energy on Monday, I felt it especially. I felt like I had more energy.

"We’re professional athletes, we get paid to look after ourselves and I think that’s what we’re doing as a tight squad. We’re probably one o the furthest clubs away from Dublin so every time we have an away game it’s quite stressful on the body. We’ve prepared quite well this week, we’ve had a longer break.”