GAME CAN HURT YOU, WARNS IAN
AFTER another night of capital gains last Friday, Sligo Rovers are a step closer to t heir first Airtricity League title in 35 years.
For all the upbeat talk from other managers about bridging gaps and taking the fight until the final day of the season, the league, and the lead, is Sligo’s to l ose as the September road beckons.
Three demanding fixtures in Dublin in the space of 11 days were all stiff assignments for Ian Baraclough’s side.
But hard-fought draws at Shamrock Rovers and St Pat’s, either side of a classy win at Shelbourne, confirmed the tungsten-like credentials of the men from the north-west, who now lead Drogheda United by nine points, Rovers and the Saints by 11.
Fuelled by success in the FAI Cup and EA Sports Cup, the hunger for one big heave at the title burns bright in mind and body.
It was evident in Inchicore on Friday night where the longserving Gavin Peers, Alan Keane and Danny Ventre, in addition to the ageless Joe Ndo, backboned a performance of selfbelief, discipline and courage.
Previous Sligo teams would have wilted in the Saints’ line of fire but this crew have a squarejawed resilience about them, shaped by the experience of finishing fourth twice and second over the past four seasons.
Under the canny stewardship of Baraclough, who has seized the opportunity given to him last March when his prospects of managing a club in England were ‘fading’, Sligo are equipped to stay the course and succeed Shamrock Rovers as the Irish champion club.
One defeat in 22 games is rocksolid championship form and echoes what a brilliant Bohemians side did in 2008, losing just twice in 33 games.
Since then, the League champions lost seven games in 2009 (Bohemians) and 2010 (Shamrock Rovers) and five in 2011 (Rovers again), all over a 36game campaign — six more than this season.
Baraclough couldn’t disguise his satisfaction at warding off St Pat’s on their own patch.
‘We’ve kept another rival at arm’s length, and while it might seem a better result for Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda, in that we’ve dropped two points in their eyes, games are running out, aren’t they?’ was his accurate post-match assessment.
Games are beginning to thin out; Sligo and Drogheda, who have hit a dip in form, have eight left, while Rovers and Pat’s each have nine.
The difficulty for the pursuers is the gap they must make up. Even if one of the chasers were to win all their games, Sligo, who also have a bumper goal difference worth a point, would probably have to lose four games out of eight to be caught a nd I cannot see t hat happening.
With two home games to come on successive Mondays against mid- table Bohemians and struggling Dundalk, Sligo could have even one meaty arm wrapped around the championship trophy by September 10.
Baraclough can see a path towards the summit but, as a veteran of 700 senior games in England, he has been around long enough not to start beating his chest.
‘We’ve only lost one game all season, and we’re pretty much the dominant force so far but we can’t take our eye off the ball. Because we’ve not been beaten by Shams, by Pats, and we’ve beaten Drogheda, doesn’t mean you can’t have a blip,’ he said.
‘I know this game can hurt you,’ he added.
Even so, the force is with Sligo and should they sustain the form of their recent treks to Dublin, the biggest prize in Irish club football is theirs to claim.
‘We’ve worked so hard to get into this position now, no way I will allow the players take the foot off throttle,’ said Baraclough, who is already talking to players about 2013 contracts.
‘The support we have is unbelievable and they’ll drive us across the line.’