Sligo Rovers play Shamrock Rovers in a Good Friday Clash of the Rovers at 8pm in Tallaght Stadium tomorrow.
This will be the second game in temporary charge for Declan McIntyre.
The first game got a 2-0 home win against Bohemians last Saturday night to move Rovers up to 10th.
Both Jonah Ayunga and Michael Leahy scored their first Bit o’Red goals in that win.
Rovers got the first and only points away from home in the last outing, a 1-1 draw with Galway United.
This is the first meeting of the teams this year, in 2016 The Hoops got two wins to The Bit o’Red’s one, though it came in the most recent clash last August.
Rovers will have a full-strength squad to go into this game.
Regan Donelon has missed most of this season with injury but returns to full training and availability this week after a scan was assessed by a specialist and physio showing no damage.
McIntyre said the squad were looking forward to taking on the challenge of going to play Shamrock Rovers.
“Obviously whenever Sligo Rovers play Shamrock Rovers it will always be a big game and a special occasion, it is a fixture that stands out. We will go there looking forward to the challenge. We will be going there not under any pressure, I think the pressure will be on them so the shoe is on the other foot this time.
“I have worked with about 80% of their squad at some stage. They are a very young squad but a very talented one. It will take a season or two for them to bed in. I know Stephen Bradley and he is a lovely guy and the rest of the coaching staff too, it will take some time for them to bed in so I am not surprised they aren’t challenging for the league yet.”
McIntyre also said that the feeling in the camp this week was much improved following the morale-boosting victory over Bohemians:
“There is nothing like a win to boost confidence and belief in a squad of players. We got the 2-0 win and a clean sheet and when we were doing the video analysis there was a lot of good stuff from us in the game. The team are in good spirits now and have trained very well.”
