The ticket allocation for away supporters has SOLD Out. The match will be shown live on Virgin Media Two with coverage starting at 7.30pm.

Another three points on Friday against Cork City, four more goals scored,  as results elsewhere saw us increase our lead at the top. So a very satisfying night overall.

“Yes, it was. It was really important we stayed focussed. I think we saw on the night that Cork have attacking threats on the pitch and created a few opportunities. So, it was important we stayed focussed on our job and got the three points. The players who came in were really good, performed well and got the win”

A good start to the game is always paramount but doesn’t always happen. But was Michael Noonan’s wonderful early goal the perfect platform on which to build thereafter? 

“It was. We spoke in the dressing room beforehand that we didn’t start so well against Galway in our last home game. So, we needed to make sure that wasn’t the case against Cork. The team started really well, got that early goal and that settled us. We went from strength to strength after that.”

You compared the goals by Josh Honohan and Aaron Greene against Shels and Drogheda recently as being cut from the same cloth. Does Michael’s second goal join those in terms of the quality of the build-up phase, Trevor Clarke’s superb through ball and Michael’s ice-cool finish?

“It’s a really good goal. It was really pleasing that it was something we spoke about and worked on. It’s such a great ball from Trevor in terms of the timing and weight of it. Then Michael’s movement, again you can see that improvement and understanding and timing of it, then Michael’s finish at the end. I’ve said from day one, you put Michael in front of goal, he scores goals. It was a really high level goal.”

The 3-0 half time lead and Rory Gaffney’s 50th minute fourth really enabled you to withdraw some players early and get some much-needed minutes into others, now creating what you described to Virgin Media Sports after the game as a really welcome headache for you in terms of selection going forward. That headache doesn’t come around too often, so is it difficult to have to tell players who are all ready and playing well that they won’t be involved in the next game? 

“It’s the worst part of the job to be honest, especially when you have such a good group of people. The worst part is leaving players out of the team and out of the squad. I can’t point the finger at anyone in the squad and say they deserve not to play or be in the squad. It genuinely is the part that gives me sleepless nights, telling good people they’re left out of teams and squads. None of them don’t deserve to play, so that’s the worst part, but thankfully the group understands we do need everyone and we’ve seen that already and that will continue to be the case.”

We next face our third clash of the season with Bohemians on Monday. We’ve lost the previous two. This is always a massive game for the fans, but do the two defeats, especially the one in Tallaght when we lost 3-2 to the final kick of the game, add extra incentive to the group to get the win over Bohs this time around?

“We understand it’s a Dublin derby and how much it means, we get that. But it’s really important we focus on what we do. For large parts of the 3-2 defeat in Tallaght, we were very good, but we lost the game because we switched off in the 70th minute. Bohs have good players, and they punished us. But we want to put that right, we know that, but we know Dublin derbies are tough, so we need to make sure we’re ready to play and are focussed.”

Bohs went on a great run after that 3-2 win but went down 2-1 to Waterford on Friday and may have snatched a point in the end. So, despite that defeat, they will be a very tough opponent in front of their own fans on Monday. 

“They will be. Bohs are a dangerous team. They’ve got dangerous players and we’ve seen that time and time again. Bohs had chances on Friday against Waterford to draw the game but Waterford had chances to increase their lead, so it was a pretty even game. It’s always different, you can look at their previous game against whoever, but Dublin derbies are always different with a different feel to them. They’re always tight and I’d imagine tomorrow will be no different.”

Did everyone emerge ok from the Cork game? 

“Trevor Clarke has a knock, we’ll check on that this morning. He got a kick during the first half and hopefully it’s not too bad. Other than that, and Adam Matthews being out injured, everyone else is fine so we’re in a good place.”