A semi will decide ......everything Published in The Sligo Weekender, October, 3rd, 2012

A semi will decide ......everything

JJ Devaney

 An FAI cup semi-final between fierce rivals Sligo Rovers and Shamrock is as big a fixture as is possible to imagine in Irish domestic soccer. However with Sligo Rovers effectively relinquishing their hold on the Airtricity Premier League trophy with a 0-0 draw at home to Cork City on Monday night, this FAI Cup semi-final takes on even more import for the bit o’ red. With the League trophy heading to Inchicore and the EA Sports cup (the League cup) safely ensconced in Tallaght stadium Sligo Rovers will look to bring the Ford FAI Cup back to the Showgrounds for the third time in 4 years.

Having appeared in 3 FAI Cup finals and winning two between 2009 and 2011 you could be forgiven for thinking that the cup is of lesser importance to a Sligo Rovers team that won its first league championship in 35 years last season. The truth is that with such a large and talented squad it is vital that Sligo Rovers aren’t just competing for silverware but winning silverware each season and this season the FAI Cup remains the only real chance of achieving this. Of course all managers will tell you that the most important game is the next game but when you consider how disappointing the last game was, and the fact it effectively brought down the curtain on the league campaign, then psychologically Sunday’s game becomes massive for both fans and supporters alike. It is a season defining encounter. 

Sunday’s match will help define how supporters view the season past and will set the tone for the forthcoming campaign. There was palpable restlessness amongst the natives in the Showgrounds on Saturday night. Some of it was justified, some of it was hysterical. The league title defence has been a disappointment and the crowds of the last few weeks have reflected this. You can expect there will be a bumper crowd in the Showgrounds for the cup semi final on Sunday yet for Monday nights league game, which would have left Rovers just two points adrift of St Pats had they won, there was a very disappointing turnout of just 1600*. It appears the fans had conceded the league title defence was over prior to the weekend’s double header.

Sligo Rovers fans have been spoiled with success the last few years; of that there is no doubt. With a top domestic trophy being delivered to the Showgrounds every year since 2009 and the assembly of a squad of considerable depth and ability, the hope of success has been replaced by a demand for it by many fans. This is the reality for manager Ian Barraclough and his team on Sunday. A place in the FAI cup final in the Aviva stadum awaits; Sligo expects.