Shamrock Rovers coach banking on home support for key Hibernians clash

Shamrock Rovers coach Stephen Bradley is banking on the passionate support of his club fans as the Irish champions prepare to host Hibernians in the first qualifying round of the Champions League.

Shamrock Rovers come into the tie in high spirits as the Irish side have been the dominant team on the domestic scene this season. In fact, they are currently on their way to clinching another league title as they are leading the league standings with a commanding ten-point advantage over nearest rivals Dundalk.

But the Hoops are desperate for a strong run in the UEFA elite club competition this season and Bradley said that a positive result against the Malta champions is crucial to put themselves in a strong position to progress.

“We are expecting a very difficult match,” Bradley told the club’s website.

“European nights are always special at a packed Tallaght Stadium (Shamrock Rovers’ stadium). We have had some brilliant nights there and our fans always played a big role. I hope that we have a massive crowd to help us.

“All the players and staff are looking forward to the game so hopefully we can get the job done.”

Bradley said that he has little reliable information on Hibernians’, particularly since they made several changes in the close season.

“Hibs have made a lot of changes this summer and brought in a lot of players so we don’t have much information on them. From what we have seen from their matches against Flora Tallinn last season we are aware that they are a team who like to keep a lot the possession and we need to be ready for that.

“One area we certainly need to be wary of is the pace of some of their players and make sure we are not caught by their pacey transitional play.”