Stephen Bradley spoke to shamrockrovers.ie before our UEFA Conference League tie against Molde FK. The game is now SOLD OUT. The match will be televised on Premier Sports, with kickoff at 8pm Irish time.
Sunday’s record-breaking attendance for a LOI game at the Aviva Stadium in our first league game of the 2025 season ended in a 1-0 defeat to Bohs. It just seemed to be one of those days for us where we just couldn’t find the goal our play deserved.
“I said after the game that I felt first half we were just ok,and also when you watch it back, although we should’ve scored with Graham Burke’s two chances and one for Danny Mandroiu. But second half, I thought we were excellent, I thought we dominated the game and really pushed. On another day, we score at least two goals when you look at the chances we had. So it’s frustrating, we lost and we don’t like losing but if you create that many chances and perform as we did second half, most weeks you’ll win games. We have to be careful and understand that we lost the game and are disappointed, but on another day we win the game.”
As well as getting no breaks around the goalmouth, losing Adam Matthews and Gary O’Neill in the first half must’ve also been frustrating, given you’d changed the starting team to ease the early-season load on players.
“The early-season load has been heavy and that’s plain to see. We made a couple of changes to try and keep players fresh and keep them from getting injured. But then Gary O’Neill came off with some tightness and Adam got a bad gash on his knee so it is frustrating. But again, what can you do? That’s football. and we have to accept it and understand it’s just one of those things.”
You gave another 16 year old his Rovers debut against Bohs in Victor Ozhianvuna. What can you tell us about Victor’s journey to the first team?
“Victor has been with the club since he was 6. He’s one who’s been a pleasure to see. I’ve watched his development all the way up, he’s a brilliant kid with an incredible attitude and is a really humble and hard-working kid who just wants to be a footballer. He’s similar to Michael Noonan with a really elite mentality to football. Victor is one with real ability, otherwise he doesn’t get on the pitch against Bohs. So, when you combine all that, he’s a player we value very highly and I think we all saw in the Bohs game in his 20-25 minutes what he’ll bring to us. For a sixteen year old to come on for his debut in that environment, I think it shows what quality Victor has.”
So to the second leg of the Conference League play-off against Molde where we lead 1-0 from last week’s first leg. The tie is a long way from being won, so another calm and mature European performance will be required to hopefully see us into more unchartered waters for a last 16 European place.
“We know we did ok in the first leg last week and brought home an advantage. But the tie is very much still on. Molde are very good side and we know that. I think they will be better for last week, but so will we. it has the makings to be a good game again. It looks like Tallaght is heading for a sellout, which is brilliant. We know if our fans bring that energy and noise and if we play to our level, we’re more than a match for anyone in Tallaght. So that’ll be the aim.”
Ed McGinty was relatively untroubled in the first leg, a tribute to the outfield players who kept Molde at arm’s length. Can we expect more attacking threat from Molde given they have to score to salvage the tie?
“I’m sure Molde will try one or two different things to last week and that’s quite normal. We have to be ready for that. But like we did for good spells last week, and did in the second half against Bohs, we need to impose our style on the game and understand what we bring to the game, our identity, and impose that as quickly as possible. If we do that, as like on Sunday, we know we’ll create chances and hopefully we can do that tomorrow night.”
There can be a tendency in teams who have won the first leg away to maybe mentally think a draw will be enough on the night to progress. That thought won’t be anyone’s mind tomorrow, players or staff, in how we’ll approach the game.
“No, we don’t do that. We’ll go to win the game. I don’t think you can go in any other way. We’ll have to be controlled and measured of course and we’ll need to be clever in how we do it. But we’ll go to win the game as we did in the first leg. At this level, I don’t think you can approach games and hope to sit back and hope to hang on. You’re asking for trouble as teams have too much quality and, at some point, they will get an opportunity. So you have to make sure you try to go and win the game.”
It’s approaching a full house in Tallaght Stadium tomorrow night. The fans have been a key component of this current European run and previous home European nights over the years. They can really make a difference to the players if they’re under the cosh or in re-energising tired minds and bodies in what will be a physically and mentally demanding occasion tomorrow night.
“They do make a difference. You feel it. You look at the support we’ve had in this European campaign, it’s been incredible. We’ve had a lot of trips around Europe and everywhere we’ve been, we’ve had the fans, vocal fans. It’s incredible. You look at Molde last week, that’s not an easy place to get to, they chartered a plane. Some fans took three flights to get there. I was talking to a few fans who got a flight to Norway and then had a seven hour rail trip. It’s incredible, that’s special. As I’ve said before, that doesn’t go unnoticed and we’re very thankful for that. But they’re special, and we’ll need them tomorrow night with a full house and their energy, which they always bring to be fair. The players do respond to it.”
We’re down Dan Cleary and Dylan Watts due to suspension, who else is out injured and how did Rory Gaffney emerge from his 45 minute return last Saturday with the Under 20s?
“We’re down a few alright with the suspensions and injuries. Jack Byrne is probably now about a week away. Trevor Clarke, we’re still waiting. Darragh Nugent is another two to three weeks after his facial injury, when he gets his mask it’ll be sooner but a bit away yet. Danny Mandroiu and Adam Matthews are out but Gary O’Neill should be ok. Rory Gaffney came through the under 20s game well, looked really good and I liked what I saw and be moved really well. He can’t be involved against Molde as the European squad was submitted last year but we’re hoping Rory will be involved against Cork at the weekend.”
