SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Waterford FC -v- Shamrock Rovers
Friday, 18th June 2021
Kick-Off: 7:45pm
Referee: Adriano Reale
Fans return to the RSC this Friday as Waterford FC look to build on last week’s win with the visit of league leaders Shamrock Rovers.
It’s the first of two games in four days for the Blues but Marc Bircham’s side come into the weekend after a strong performance and excellent result last Friday night, beating Dundalk 3-1 in Oriel Park.
Two goals from John Martin and a goal from Shane Griffin saw the Blues come from behind to take all three points against the Lilywhites.
Friday’s visitors Shamrock Rovers come into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Finn Harps last weekend. The sides last met back in May in Tallaght Stadium when Shamrock Rovers ran out 3-0 winners, while the Dublin side also won the last time the sides met in the RSC.
Manager’s View: Speaking ahead of Friday’s match against Shamrock Rovers, manager Marc Bircham said:
“We’re happy with the result last Friday after a good performance. We’ve been working hard on the training ground and we can see improvements already. We’ve still got lots of work to do so I won’t get too excited when we win or when we lose at the moment.
“Friday will be a massive test for us but it’s an exciting challenge. Shamrock Rovers are at the top at the moment so nobody will expect much from us, but we’ll prepare in the same way and look to the game in a positive manner.
“It’s a busy weekend with games on Friday and Monday but we’re looking forward to it. We’ll focus on Friday and then look to Monday’s game to get positive performances in both.
“Having our fans back in the ground too will be brilliant for our lads. I’ve heard so much about the passionate fans in Waterford so having them in the ground will be great and hopefully we’ll have even more back soon when more restrictions are eased.”
Team News: Isaac Tshipamba (suspension), Daryl Murphy and Cian Kavanagh miss out while Kyle Ferguson is a doubt.
(Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile)
