Bohemians manager Keith Long has Longford Town in his sights as he aims for their first win of the season.
Bohs had a disappointing start to the season last weekend when a defensive error allowed Adam Foley in the 38th minute to give Finn Harps all three points in Ballybofey.
Four of those who started in Ballybofey where full debuts, Rory Feely, Ali Coote, Liam Burt and Georgie Kelly, while Thomas Oluwa was introduced in the second-half.
And Long believes that the more competitive games they play together, the more cohesion we will see, as they look to get back to winning ways against newly-promoted Longford Town, who will come into the game confident after their opening night 2-0 win over Derry City.
“The relative stability of last season has been replaced this year with change” explained Long ahead of Bohs first home game.
“To finish second last season, qualifying for Europe for the second year running with the youngest team in the country is evidence that we are making progress”.
“We try to look at change as a positive and an opportunity but there is no doubt that we lost some key players from last year, which are not so easy to replace”.
"But with nine new players in a squad it will take time for them to settle in. Pre-season went reasonably well but only competitive games can bring cohesion to a team.”
As well as the five who featured in Ballybofey last Saturday, Tyreke Wilson, Bastien Héry, Bradley Rolt and Stephen Mallon, who is currently sidelined, have yet to be thrown into the mix.
While there has been a lot to be positive over the closed season as the club strengthens for the future, the continued but necessary absence of supporters from stadiums continues to simultaneously frustrate and motivate Long and his players.
“We cannot forget the suffering that people have gone through in this pandemic with the loss of so many loved ones to this horrible virus, with the real toll on our society yet to be seen” added Long.
“But, in my view, football is the most important of the least important things”.
“It is our promise that we will try and represent our club and its people as best we can on the pitch until such a time as we can get supporters back into grounds and filling out Dalymount once more”.
“It is different, it is not the same, and is almost unnatural to a degree not having them behind us. We understand and are cognisant of how lucky we are to be in a position to do what we love.
"But I long for the day we see supporters, families, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, back where they belong in Dalymount wearing the red and black of our great club.”
Bohemians are without Stephen Mallon (metatarsal) and Promise Omochere (knee). Conor Levingston (calf) and Bradley Rolt (hamstring) have both trained well and could come into the reckoning.
Neither Andy Lyons nor Dawson Devoy featured for the Ireland U21s in Wales yesterday so they may be included also.
