Arsenal midfielder Jack Henry-Francis has joined Sligo Rovers on loan until the end of the 2024 season.

The Republic of Ireland underage international joins the Bit O’Red on a short-term loan deal subject to international transfer clearance.

The 20-year-old ‘box-to-box’ midfielder joined the Gunners in 2016 from Fulham when he was 13 and has regularly trained with Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad. 

Henry-Francis, who qualifies for Ireland through his parents’ Mayo and Leitrim heritage, has played six times for the Irish under 19s and once for the U21s, against Kuwait last year. At the age of just 17, he featured as part of the Arsenal first-team squad which travelled to Scotland for a pre-season camp. A squad which featured a host of international stars.

Henry-Francis is the third new player to join Rovers this summer following Stephen Mallon’s move from Cliftonville, and Luke Pearce who joined on loan from Cardiff City. The London born starlet is hoping to make the most of his time at the Showgrounds, with senior football very much on the agenda.

“I’m looking to get some exposure to first-team football really and when I get the chance, I want to put in some really good performances”, he says.

“I think I can do that here. I’ve spoken a lot to John and about his plans for me and the squad for the rest of the year and it’s been very exciting. I know a fair bit about the league and have watched a fair bit of it since I knew I’d be moving over. There seems to be a lot of togetherness in the team and a lot of fight along with some really good technical players.”

Henry-Francis, who turns 21 in September, is already familiar with being around players at the very top of the game having been around the Arsenal first team. He feels this will only help him as he looks to settle in at the Showgrounds.    

“It’s always a great experience being with Arsenal’s first-team as it’s always intense as there are a lot of demands, but I feel that will stand to me at Rovers. The trip to Scotland was incredible as you were playing alongside players with lots of Premier League and international experience. The last few years, the level I’ve trained at has really made me play up a level as you’re training with players who are chasing Premier League titles.”

Speaking about the move, Rovers boss John Russell says he feels he has found a player who will easily fit into his plans for the team between now and the end of the year.

“I am delighted to bring Jack to the Showgrounds”, he says.

“He is a tenacious midfielder who plays the game with real energy and aggression. It’s important now that we continue to add real quality to the group and Jack fits that profile. We are all excited to get to work with him and I know he’s looking forward to making an impact between now and the end of the season.”

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers can confirm that striker Luke Pearce has joined the club on loan from Cardiff City until the end of the 2024 season. The 20-year-old joins the Bit O’Red subject to international transfer clearance.

Pearce began his career at Walsall before being picked up by Southampton where he spent three seasons as a regular in both the B and U21 teams. The young attacker also spent time on loan at Torquay and Eastbourne before joining Cardiff earlier this month. 

Pearce has been capped by both the Irish under 18s and 19s and qualifies for the Republic through his mother who hails from County Sligo. 

“I know quite a bit about Sligo and Rovers already through my mum’s family. It’s a really big deal for my family for me to be joining on loan for a while”. he says. “I cannot wait to get out there and play in front of the fans.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how I can do in the League of Ireland. I know it’s a very competitive league and Rovers are doing well at the moment based on recent results. I’ve only been here a short while but I can feel the positivity around the club, both on and off the field. I am really looking forward to picking up some first team experience here and helping Rovers kick on in the league and of course there’s the FAI Cup to come very soon so I’ll be looking to make an impact.”

Commenting on his latest acquisition, Rovers boss John Russell says Pearce is a player he has tracked for some time.

“Luke is a player I’ve been keeping an eye on for a while”, he said. 

“I feel he will bring energy and aggression to our front line. He has really good movement and has the ability to score different types of goals. It’s important we added to our squad in this window. There are a lot of important games coming up so securing Luke on loan is really good business for us.”

David Goulden

We look forward to welcoming all supporters to our friendly with Everton FC this Friday 19th July. The game is sold out. If you are attending the game please note the following match-day arrangements which have been agreed in consultation with authorities.

SLIGO ROVERS V EVERTON MATCHDAY NOTICE

1) Car parking for cars at The Showgrounds and Nazareth House will NOT be available on Friday July 19th.

2) Parking for buses only at The Showgrounds

3) Supporters parking available at:

Summerhill College, St Mary’s GAA Club, Wine St. CP, Quay St. CP, Adelaide St CP, Market Yard CP, Cathedral CP, Abbey St CP, Quayside Shopping Centre CP, Holborn St. CP, Connaughton Road CP, The Mall CP, Parkes Yard CP, Glasshouse CP, Rockwood Parade CP.

4) Turnstiles open 2pm, K.O. 4pm. Game sold out, no cash/cards taken.

5) Seating is limited, on a first come basis.

6) Please observe Garda traffic management and be respectful to parking at neighbouring estates. Illegal parking may result in fines or clamping. 

Composed finishing along with a string of wonderful saves from goalkeeper Ed McGinty saw Sligo Rovers collect their third league win on the spin as the ten-man Bit O’Red beat Bohemians at Dalymount Park.

Wilson Waweru rounded goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka to put Rovers ahead nine minutes from the break. And despite a harsh Stephen Mallon dismissal and facing a second half onslaught which saw large periods of the game played out in Rovers’ own half, the visitors held on courtesy of McGinty’s ninth clean sheet of the season and some wonderful last ditch defending from the Sligo rearguard.

Pandemonium ensued in the away end in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the game when Ellis Chapman made the most of a poorly struck Bohs set-piece. With Chorazka stranded well inside the visitors’ half, the former Cheltenham man let fly from all of 70 yards to secure another big win for John Russell’s men. 

The in-form McGinty began his evening by denying James Clarke early on and with Rovers finding their stride, they hit the lead on 36.

Mallon and Niall Morahan combined to find Chapman whose through ball was well weighted for Waweru. The former Galway man showed superior poise and composure to hold off the defender before rounding Chorazka and finishing to an empty net. 

Rovers’ joy was somewhat short lived when referee Marc Lynch decided to book Mallon for a second time before the break after the ex-Bohs winger had tugged the shirt of an opponent. 

A man down, the second period saw Alan Reynolds’ men come at Rovers in waves but time and time again, they were repelled. 

Former Rovers skipper Adam McDonnell flashed an effort wide of McGinty’s goal as Sligo forced the Dubliners into long-range efforts. While McGinty pulled off a great stop from Dayle Rooney’s set-piece. 

Clarke was next to be denied by the Oxford loanee when he diverted the attacker’s header from a Declan McDaid cross around his post. 

Bohs were lining up at this stage but each effort was stopped by either a late block or a heroic McGinty stop. Ross Tierney, Leigh Kavanagh and substitute Filip Piszczek were all kept at bay, while Reece Hutchinson cleared off his own goal line. 

Rovers could have settled the tie eleven minutes from the end but the ball seemed to take a bobble off the Dalymount surface as Simon Power struck it following a well worked counter. Power firing over from inside the area.

There was time for one more McGinty trick when he reacted in time to keep out a Cian Byrne header which looked destined to level proceedings. 

However, Chapman made sure the points were safely delivered all the way back up the N4 on 95 minutes when he went for broke from inside his own half after Chorazka had ventured forward in search of an equaliser. 

Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Martin Miller, Cian Byrne, Jordan Flores (Leigh Kavanagh HT), Paddy Kirk (Declan McDaid HT); Adam McDonnell (Archie Meekison 72), James Clarke (Alex Greive 63); Danny Grant (Filip Piszczek 63), Ross Tierney, Dayle Rooney; James Akintunde.

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Charlie Wiggett, Nando Pijnaker, Oliver Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan, Connor Malley (Simon Power HT), Ellis Chapman; Stephen Mallon, Wilson Waweru (Kailin Barlow 61), Will Fitzgerald.

Referee: Marc Lynch.

Attendance: 4,119.

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers travel to Dublin this Friday night to take on Bohemians for the third league meeting of the two sides this season, kick-off at Dalymount Park is 7.45pm.  

Rovers will be without full back John Ross Wilson who serves the first of a three match ban, following his dismissal against Derry City last week. While centre halves John Mahon and Conor Reynolds remain unavailable through injury. 

Winger Simon Power returns to the match day squad having missed that win over Derry due to illness. 

As above, the teams have met twice already this term. 

Goals from Reece Hutchinson and Fabrice Hartmann earned the Bit O’Red a draw in Phibsboro on the opening night of the season. While the Gypsies beat Rovers at the Showgrounds in May. 

Speaking ahead of the tie, Sligo boss John Russell says he wants to build on recent wins over Shamrock Rovers and Derry City, but knows Alan Reynolds’ side will have different plans.

“We picked up two brilliant and well deserved wins over one team defending their title and one team chasing it”, he said.

“We want to keep building on recent performances. We have shown that we can play with the teams at the top of the table and now it’s down to us to show we have the will and ability to go toe-to-toe with a team who are below us. Dalymount is a really tough place to go for anyone in this league, as their supporters always get right behind them and we need to manage that. They have a very deep squad which gives them the ability to change the game at any moment from the bench.

“They’ve let go of a few players but have also brought in a number of new faces so we are going into the unknown somewhat. 

“We must plan without JR, but we knew about that straight after the Derry game and have worked well on our shape and formation all week. We are going to try and continue the momentum from the wins over Shams and Derry and bring it to Dublin.” 

David Goulden

Ellis Chapman struck a wonderful 89th minute winner to beat Derry City at the Showgrounds as Sligo Rovers picked up their second win on the spin. 

Paul McMullan’s 54th minute strike had put City in the lead. But a Chapman penalty along with his sublime late winner, turned this tie on its head to stretch Derry’s run without a win in Sligo to six. A winless run that goes back to 2021.  

Ed McGinty pulled off a superb double stop in injury time at the end of this game to secure the full quota of points for the Bit O’Red. 

Rovers finished this game with ten men after JR Wilson was dismissed for an off-the-ball incident in added time at the end of the tie.  

Sligo were forced into one change from their impressive win over Shamrock Rovers at the same venue six nights previous. New signing and former Derry wide man Stephen Mallon was given his debut against his former club in place of the recently departed Fabrice Hartmann who returned to parent club RB Leipzig this week. While Simon Power, who netted both goals in that win over the Hoops, missed the game due to illness. 

City’s record in Sligo has been relatively poor in recent years having taken just two points from a possible 15 in their last five visits to Church Hill. While Ruaidhri Higgins’ side have also failed to score in the last four at the same venue. 

The Derry boss kept faith with the same eleven who put five past Drogheda last week. A decision which looked justified in the early stages as City threatened early on, targeting their flanks in particular whilst pinning Rovers back.  

Daniel Kelly tested McGinty at his front post when the Sligo net minder blocked Kelly’s shot with his legs after the former Dundalk man was played through by a neat flick from Pat Hoban. 

The hosts were boosted this week by the extension of McGinty’s loan from Oxford until the end of the season. The Motherwell native showed his worth on the half hour when he rushed from his line to meet McMullen and smother the Scot’s effort after he was sent through on goal by Adam O’Reilly.

The Foylesiders remained the more menacing of the two sides as the break approached and Hoban was next to threaten when he met Cameron Dummigan’s cross with a well-timed bicycle kick. The finish didn’t match the acrobatics however the overhead kick bounced past McGinty’s post.  

The second half was nine minutes old when the Brandywell outfit took the lead. 

Hoban allowed Kelly’s cross travel all the way across the face of the penalty area where McMullan was given the space to settle himself, before bending the ball beyond McGinty from 15 yards. 

The advantage lasted just eight minutes. Chapman fired Sligo back into the game from the penalty spot after Sadou Diallo had clumsily tripped Will Fitzgerald just inside the City area. 

Chapman popped up again with one minute to go as he supplied a glorious winner. 

The former Cheltenham attacker making the most of space afforded to him after he had slipped past three Derry defenders, before showing superior composure and deft skill as he neatly squeezed the ball between Maher and his far post.  

Rovers had McGinty to thank in added time when he pulled off a magnificent double save, shutting out both Hoban and Colm Whelan.

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Nando Pijnaker, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan, Connor Malley; Stephen Mallon (Kailin Barlow 66), Ellis Chapman, Will Fitzgerald; Wilson Waweru (Owen Elding 83). 

Derry City: Brian Maher; Cameron Dummigan, Mark Connolly, Shane McEleney, Ben Doherty; Sadou Diallo (Danny Mullen 74), Adam O’Reilly; Paul McMullan (Colm Whelan 84), Daniel Kelly (Michael Duffy 74); Will Patching; Pat Hoban. 

Referee: Damien MacGraith.

Attendance: 2,859.

David Goulden

New signing Stephen Mallon is available for selection for the first time as John Russell’s Sligo Rovers face Derry City at the Showgrounds on Thursday, kick off 7.45pm. 

Supporters are asked to note the change from the traditional game day. 

Winger Mallon, who signed last month, is available to play for the Bit O’Red from July 1st and goes straight into the match day squad. 

Rovers have no fresh injury concerns following last week’s win over champions Shamrock Rovers. 

John Mahon and Conor Reynolds remain sidelined with respective achilles and leg knocks. 

Rovers have a good recent record against the Candystripes in Sligo in recent years and have played out two draws against Ruadhiri Higgins’ team this year so far. 

Rovers are further boosted by the signature on a permanent basis of defender Ollie Denham who signed an 18 month deal following the completion of a loan spell from Cardiff City. 

While goalkeeper Ed McGinty has committed himself to Sligo until the end of the season after his loan deal from Oxford was extended. 

“It’s going to be another tough game against a team chasing league silverware”, manger Russell said. 

“We put on a really impressive show against Shams last week and that performance showed we can play with the best the league has to offer. 

“There were chances at both ends in the first half, but second half we shut them out and took hold of the game thanks to two brilliant Simon Power goals. 

“That game is done now. We move on to Thursday and another team at the top of the table. We have almost a full squad to choose from now and we hope to keep as injury free as possible. 

“With a fully fit squad and everyone available to choose from, we’re a match for anyone. 

“Derry have threats from all sides and we have seen that in recent weeks and in the games we’ve played them in this year.  

“There’s a real feeling of positivity around the club at the moment and we’re looking to draw from that this Thursday.” 

Sligo Rovers has formally submitted its application for funding under the Government’s Large Scale Sport in Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) for the redevelopment of the Showgrounds.   

Multi-sport stadium
The Sligo Showgrounds Masterplan provides for a new multi-sport stadium in the lead up to the Club’s centenary in 2028. If the application is successful, the Showgrounds will be the first UEFA Category 3 Stadium outside Dublin, and as well as hosting our own major fixtures, it can be a prime venue for other clubs’ European games. With a capacity of 6,100, stadium facilities will include new grass based hybrid pitch, which will accommodate other sports and activities, new stands on the Church Hill and Jinks’ Avenue ends, upgrades to the Treacy Avenue and Railway end stands, (including roofing the latter), hospitality areas, fan zones, meeting rooms, gymnasium, club merchandise shop, media area and a new club museum. The stadium will also meet the requirements for modern TV broadcasts. Our objective is not just to improve the sporting facilities, we also want our fans, and visitors, to have the best Showgrounds experience possible.

Sligo Rovers Chairman Tommy Higgins said ‘Today sees the culmination of two years of intensive work to prepare this detailed application. Within our own community, our local authority, local TD’s and nationally with the FAI and Senior Government Ministers, we have experienced nothing but cooperation and encouragement, and for this we are very grateful. It feels a bit strange to be getting this major application over the line without the presence of our colleague Tommie Gorman, who worked tremendously hard on this project, his energy and the respect in which he is held at the highest levels opened so many doors for us. Due to his efforts, we were able to present detailed briefings in the Showgrounds to Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tanaiste Micheal Martin, Ministers Catherine Martin, Heather Humphreys, Jack Chambers and Thomas Byrne and local Sligo/Leitrim TD Frank Feighan. Other very significant contributors were Sligo County Council’s Chief Executive, Martin Lydon and Director of Services Dorothy Clarke..

Sligo Rovers Development Officer Mark Cummins acknowledged the contribution of the many individuals and agencies involved in the project. ‘We had an exceptional support team in place at every stage of the very detailed application process, Design Team lead Gavin Phelan of Rhatigans Architects, Enda Candon of First Western Consultants, the legal teams, and within the Club, Shona Heffernan, Jamie Murphy and David Kearins. Tom Kelly on our Project Team coordinated all the various elements of the detailed submission with great professionalism’. We have an excellent working relationship with Chair Albert Higgins and the Showgrounds Trustee Board. They have a hugely important remit in preserving the Showgrounds as a sporting and community facility, and they shared our conviction that this development will be a major boost for the Club and the people of Sligo.’

Sligo Rovers Secretary Brendan Lacken acknowledged the support of the FAI and Special Olympics Ireland, who committed their support for the project by awarding it a priority ranking within their respective strategies for the development of their sports. It also enhanced our application to receive letters of support from the two organisations, along with Cairn National Community Games, Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership, Sligo Business Improvement District (BID) and Sligo Volunteer Centre.

We are also pleased to confirm that a number of local community organisations have entered into licence agreements with the club to use the new facilities in the Showgounds when they are completed: Sligo Schoolboys and Girls League, Sligo Leitrim and District Soccer League, ATU Sligo, Ballinode College, Mercy College, Sligo Grammar School, Summerhill College, Ursuline College, Sligo Community Games, Sligo Rugby Club and Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership . We greatly welcome their interest in being part of our new era.’

Reflecting on the traumatic week for the Sligo Rovers family, Tommy Higgins said ‘If this funding application is successful, our development will be a fitting legacy to the tireless work of Tommie Gorman on behalf of his beloved Rovers, not just on this project, but throughout his lifetime,’

Oh, the delightful exuberance of youth!  Two young sisters living their dream, viewing their world through a kaleidoscope of fun and laughter, adventure and achievement. Planning their future with giddy excitement, serious intent laced with just the precise measure of teenage abandon. 

Sligo Rovers’ Loughrey sisters, Keri and Jodie, are on the precipice of an odyssey of a lifetime – the chance to represent Ireland at the under-19 UEFA European Championships in Lithuania in July. The younger, 17 years old Jodie, has been an important member of the Irish squad which cruised through the qualifying series. She is now joined in a 27-player pre-tournament training camp by her older sister, 19 years old Keri. Fingers are tightly crossed that both will make the final squad. 

For Keri, there’s another consideration in a crowded calendar. This week, she will begin her Leaving Cert, hoping to accumulate enough points to earn her a college place to study PE Teaching or Occupational Therapy.  Jodie is a 5^th year student at the same school, Scoil Mhuire, in their native Buncrana, Co. Donegal. 

But crammed in between the books, the study and the revision, the sisters somehow find the time, energy and commitment to play in the League of Ireland with Sligo Rovers and international football for Ireland. It’s a daunting schedule, made tougher by awkward mid-week commutes from their family farm at the tip of Donegal to the Showgrounds for two nights training every week. 

School days start at 8.50am and finish at 4.30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Keri and Jodie barely have time to catch their breath before jumping into Keri’s car for the two- and-a- half hour trek to Sligo. By 9.30pm, they’ll be setting off on the return journey, arriving home as the clock ticks towards the last hour of the day.  There’s just about time for the required eight hours sleep before a new school day begins. 

“It’s hectic alright,” Keri confirms. “But we have each other’s company and good music in the car, so time passes quickly.” 

“Och, it’s grand,” Jodie agrees. “The teachers give us a wee bit of leeway, so it’s fine.” 

The girls have been playing football for as long as they can remember, initially kicking a ball around their parents’ farm, and later embarrassing the local boys with their natural ability. 

“We grew up playing football with boys. Maybe that was an advantage,” Keri recalls. “It would have been under-12s before we started playing with an organised girls’ team at our local club, Buncrana Hearts.” 

Young girls honing their skills against older boys is a common back-story for many of the women currently blazing an exciting new trail in the female game. The Loughreys’ skipper at Rovers’, Emma Hansberry, has a similar experience.  

She is Sligo’s most decorated footballer. Her bulging trophy cabinet includes three National Womens’ League titles and two FAI Cup winners’ medals; she’s played in a World Cup and Champions League, and represented her country at all under-age levels before winning senior caps, culminating in being named the under-19 FAI Player of the Year. 

Yet, her formative years were spent playing street football with neighbouring boys, simply because there were no girls to play with or against in those days. She was nearly 10 years old before she first played in an organised girls’ team.  

“I remember young lads calling to the door, my brother’s pals, but they weren’t looking for them, they were asking if I’d join them for a game of football. That’s how it all started for me,” Emma told me during an interview for the book, “Local Heroes: A Celebration of Sligo Sport.” 

The landscape has changed dramatically since then, of course. The recent success of the Katie McCabe inspired international team and the emergence of academies at League of Ireland clubs has given talented young girls a target to aim for, an opportunity to fulfil ambitions. 

And the Loughrey sisters have fuelled their dreams from that rich well. 

“It’s such a great feeling pulling on the Irish jersey,” Jodie exclaims. “It’s an unreal sense of pride. I’m inspired by people like Katie McCabe, I’d love to meet her some day and maybe even get the chance to play with her.” 

Keri, who ‘s represented Ireland from under-16s through to the 19s, is equally ambitious, but you get the sense she sees a world beyond football. 

“If ever an opportunity arose for full-time football, then obviously, you’d have to consider it. But I want to go to college, get my degree, and see if anything happens then. For the moment, I’m aiming to be a PE teacher or an Occupational Therapist. If football is still a possibility, well and good,” she says. 

Jodie is far more to the point, though. 

“One hundred per cent, I want to be a footballer. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. All I still want,” she beams. 

The sisters exchange a knowing glance and a hearty giggle. 

This is their second season with Rovers, having been signed by Steve Feeney after a series of trials. Despite the gruelling travelling schedule involved in match days and training, they’re loving every minute of it. 

“It was a big jump from the Donegal League, particularly from a physical point of view. But it’s such a great opportunity to play for a big club like Sligo Rovers, and hopefully we’re improving all the time,” Keri says. 

Jodie is equally happy with progress, and feels there is more to come from this Rovers’ team. 

“We started off really well with a 0-0 draw against Shels and then played well but lost narrowly against Galway, who are now top of the League, so it’s very competitive, and we’re not far off finding a winning run. We’ve had to adjust to a new playing style and structure under Tommy Hewitt, which takes a bit of time, but we’re getting there. Hopefully, we’ll have a good cup run,” she says. 

The girls are blessed with parents, Sean and Mary, who have been totally supportive every step of their football journey. 

“They travel all over the country to watch us,” Jodie relates. “I can’t remember a game they haven’t been at over the years.” 

Keri confirms: “They’re hugely supportive, but they’re not shy about a bit of criticism. I wouldn’t say they’re harsh, but they’d let you know if they thought you could have done better.” 

 Cue another combustion of riotous laughter. By now, their colleagues have begun arriving for the two-hour training session, so the sisters bounce off happily to the changing room. Ahead of them, a tough session and a long drive home, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. Three cheers for the contagious exuberance of youth! 

By Jim Gray 

Tommy Hewitt is embracing the managerial challenge of improving the fortunes of a fledgling Sligo Rovers team, now in its third season, as he explained to CONALL COLLIER after last Saturday’s Women’s Premier Division (WPD) game against Peamount Utd.

The former Athlone Town boss had little time to relax after the 2023 mid-season break before he received a call from the Showgrounds, which he was happy to answer, taking over the role vacated by Steve Feeney at the end of last season.

“I have to say that it has been a breath of fresh air for me since I took on this role, and I have been welcomed by everyone at the club: the players, the committee, and the supporters,” he commented.

“But I’m not here for the compliments or anything like that. I know what’s required, and my long-term target, and that of the club, is to get results and to win silverware,” he added.

Saturday’s outing at PRL Park against the defending WPD champions marked the midpoint of the season, and the Bit O’Red is still searching for its first win of 2024.

“We have a plan in place. I’m only six months into this journey with Sligo Rovers, and I know what is required to produce a competitive team that will challenge at the top end of the table,” he stated.

“I did something similar with Athlone Town. They are top of the table now after the weekend results, and they also won the FAI Cup last season.

“Despite our league position, it’s reasonable to suggest that the Sligo Rovers players aren’t too far off the pace, although we haven’t won a game so far this season.

“You could see that on Saturday. Against a quality team like Peamount, they had to work hard for the victory, but they scored two excellent goals.

“We had a game plan, and for the most part, it worked well. We had a couple of chances but just didn’t take them.

“Basically, that was the difference over 90 minutes. Not wishing to take anything away from Peamount, but we weren’t outclassed in any way, and you are always in with a chance when it’s a one-goal game.

“Peamount only made it safe, from their perspective, with a second goal near the end,” he added.

And what about the challenges that have to be negotiated this season? Is there a remedy in the short term?

“We have two options: we either work with the players we have and those coming through from the under-age teams at the club, or we bring in some experienced players,” he suggested.

“We have to bridge that gap, but that’s something that will take time, to mold a young and inexperienced side into a winning side.

“This is a long-term project, and we are making progress in developing the best talent in the region.

“Looking at the league table at the moment, it could suggest that Sligo Rovers have declined from last season.

“However, that would not be a fair assessment because all the teams have improved. The standards are improving, and overall, that’s a positive development.

“Take the likes of Treaty Utd and Cork City, both ahead of us now. They have brought in some very experienced players, and that’s reflected in their results this season.

“We played Cork in the Showgrounds, and it’s a game I felt we could have won, but we lost narrowly. We got a point away against Treaty, and in our opening game of the season, we got a point away to Shelbourne,” he added.

Can Sligo Rovers find some improvement for the second half of the season, starting with a home game against Shelbourne on Saturday week?

“We are now at the midway point of the season. It has been a little frustrating; we should have beaten Cork and Bohs, but you will always have inconsistencies with a young team,” said Tommy.

“We certainly have the talent coming through, but I don’t like throwing the girls in at the deep end. We have players coming back from injuries, and that will help us.

“It’s also a great boost to see Keri and Jodie Loughrey in the Republic of Ireland under-19 squad for the UEFA European Championships in Lithuania in mid-July.

“We also have to acknowledge the performances of a player like Keeva Flynn. She is a 16-year-old in central defense on a team that hasn’t won a game this season.

“Keeva wouldn’t look out of place on any other team in the league, but she is still learning. She’s learning on the job, and that’s a big challenge for her.

“I’d prefer to ease her into senior football, but circumstances dictate differently, and she will be a very important player for the club.

“What I admire about all the players is the fact that they retain both confidence and belief in themselves, and that’s hugely important.

“We have Terenure Rangers in the FAI Cup at the beginning of next month, and that will bring a different type of pressure. We will be expected to win that game.

“We will approach the second half of the season with the initial objective to get a win in the league, get more points on the board, and move away from the foot of the table,” he concluded.