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Saints boss Stephen O'Donnell hoping to bounce back against Shamrock Rovers

Stephen O'Donnell is hoping that his St Patrick's Athletic team can bounce back after they were f...



Saints boss Stephen O'Donnell...
Soccer

Saints boss Stephen O'Donnell hoping to bounce back against Shamrock Rovers

Stephen O'Donnell is hoping that his St Patrick's Athletic team can bounce back after they were frustrated by the Premier Division's bottom team in the SSE Airtricity League last Friday.

The Saints currently trail fourth placed Derry City by a single point, with Bohemians only a further point ahead in third position in the league standings as all three sides step up their pursuit for European football next year.

O'Donnell will have a full squad to select from having seen most of his squad feature the 0-0 draw at home to UCD last Friday and the 1-0 win over Cabinteely in the Leinster Senior Cup.

"All in all we would have been disappointed to just come away with a point," said O'Donnell when reflecting on last week's result in the league against UCD. "But I suppose four points from the first two games is not the worst start. It's all about the demanding off each other and the players demanding to have the levels higher."

O'Donnell takes charge of the team in a Dublin derby for the first time when they travel to face Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium this Friday night.

The 33-year-old knows that his players need to apply themselves right for the game.

"I'm really looking forward to it and the players are too," said O'Donnell. It's going to be a tough game. Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk have been a good bit clear of the rest this season. So we know we are going to be up against it.

"But one thing that we know we have is belief in the dressing room. We are going to instill a lot of belief in the dressing room when we are going to Tallaght looking to get something from the game.

"The boys have trained really well again this week, with good recovery from the games last weekend. We are raring to go and really looking forward to going to Tallaght full of hope and full of focus of getting a result."

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