Sligo’s sticky situation should come as no surprise

Listening in to Ocean FM’s coverage of Sligo Rovers’ 1-1 draw with Cork City last Saturday evening, you could feel the tension coming through the radio from the Showgrounds.

As they searched, without success, for a late winner, Rovers’ players, supporters and management alike all knew this was a missed opportunity of significant proportions – and one that could have very serious consequences in the coming weeks.

A win would more or less have secured Rovers’ Premier Division status for another season but, now, they must go to Tallaght Stadium and beat runaway leaders Shamrock Rovers next weekend to absolutely guarantee themselves a place in the top tier next season.

Thing is, the other two sides on the same points as the Bit O’Red – Galway United and Waterford – play each other at the RSC this Saturday in their final match of the season. If matters remain the same by the time that game comes around (Galway do have a game away to Shamrock Rovers on Wednesday evening), a draw in the south east would mean Sligo Rovers need to get something in Tallaght to avoid a relegation play-off.

That is never easy – not least when you need it most.

It’s hard to be overly critical of Sligo Rovers, given that their budget is among the lowest in a league where money has helped develop a sense of real levels, even in a ten-team division.

As a community-based club, where fundraising provides such a large chunk of the club’s income, Sligo Rovers have limitations in a market dominated by the Dublin clubs. Geographical challenges are also a consideration for players who are keen to be based around our capital city. That means Rovers need to be smart – and sometimes lucky – when it comes to recruitment.

Recruitment in the off-season did not have the desired effect but the mid-season efforts in bringing in the likes of Paddy McClean, James McManus and Ciaron Harkin have had a positive impact. They are all proven League of Ireland talents and their arrivals, along with the brilliance of Owen Elding and Jad Hakiki, had helped bring Rovers into a situation where survival was achievable. Now, it’s looking a little more perilous.

One can understand a sense of nervousness against a Cork City side with nothing to play for in terms of their league status given they are already relegated. It was always going to be a banana skin and Cork’s players are also jostling for position within their own squad ahead of the upcoming FAI Cup final. Yet failing to get all three points, in a match where they were expected to, gives Rovers a major task now to try and avoid a ninth place finish and that sticky promotion/relegation play-off.

Perhaps this is where Sligo Rovers, in economic terms, should be. With the Dublin clubs capable of dishing out bigger wages, and Derry City and Galway United also well resourced, it's a packed field in the Premier Division.

Add in too that Rovers are always likely to lose their best talents to other clubs – Johnny Kenny, Aidan Keena, Ed McGinty and Max Mata are examples of that in recent times – and it means that it’s incredibly difficult to build any sense of continuity for whoever is in charge.

It's a delicate balance, but perhaps a reassessment of where things are at right now is necessary. Expectations remain high at the Showgrounds given that the club’s last league success came relatively recently in 2012. There were also three FAI Cups in four seasons around that same time.

It was an incredible run of success for the Bit O’Red, but that was very much the exception to the rule when you consider that the club, prior to that five or six year spell, had only two league titles to its name and two FAI Cups too. With such a recent memory of trophy-winning seasons, it’s hard not to expect Rovers to be more competitive when it comes to honours at the end of the season.

Having high expectations is no bad thing, but they do need to be tempered with a dose of reality every so often.

By and large, the Sligo Rovers support is a group with a great understanding of where the club is at and there is a passion that is, in many ways, unmatched in this country when it comes to the fortunes of the team.

In this ultra-competitive environment, with the financial constraints being where they are, the club retaining its Premier Division status year on year is no mean feat. Granted, there has been a sting in the tail in recent seasons with limp FAI Cup exits. The reversal to Kerry this season was particularly jarring, with the visitors inexplicably coughing up a 3-nil lead in Tralee to lose 4-3 after extra-time. And, with a play-off looming against a side from the First Division, the recent FAI Cup exits will bring a sense of nervousness amongst Rovers supporters. In four of the last five years, Rovers have exited the cup at the hands of First Division opposition.

Against that vista, it's a challenging situation, but it is by no means irretrievable.

John Russell, the Rovers manager, has done a very good job since coming in as Liam Buckley's replacement in 2022. The Galway native has had his team playing some really good football at times and their run of form in the second half of this season, for the most part, has been impressive. Now, he faces a real managerial task in getting his players set for this weekend knowing how much is on the line.

Rovers may well win a play-off if they end up there, but wouldn't it be great to avoid it?

As a club, Sligo Rovers has always defied the odds. This Saturday would be a great time to call on that fighting spirit again.