Sligo Rovers will look to rediscover their winning form this Saturday as they take on Waterford at the Showgrounds, kick-off 7.45pm. 

This Premier Division game is Rovers’ biggest of the season to date, as John Russell’s side look to potentially break into the top three. The Blues and the Bit O’Red sit third and fourth respectively with the same number of games played, level on points with Waterford ahead only on goal difference. 

Sligo will look to pick up their first win in three in all competitions following recent defeats to both UCD and Drogheda United.

This will be the fourth and final time this season that the teams will lock horns. 

The visitors have the upper hand in the head-to-head stakes with two wins over Rovers this year, while ten man Sligo beat Keith Long’s side at the RSC back in March. 

In team news, Nando Pijnaker is again expected to miss out having missed the defeat to Drogs following a head injury received in the recent FAI Cup loss to UCD. 

Winger Stephen Mallon will face a late fitness test. While Stefan Radosavljevic joins John Mahon and Conor Reynolds on the treatment table. 

This game sees the teams at the opposite ends of the form table take each other on. With four victories from their last five league outings, Rovers are currently the in-form club in the top flight, while 

Waterford sit bottom of that list having been beaten in four of their last five. 

Russell, who returns to the dugout following a three game ban, is paying little heed to stats and knows how big Saturday’s clash is. The Rovers boss also says that last week’s drubbing at Weaver’s Park is now out of the system.

“The Drogheda game is history now and there is absolutely nothing we can do now to affect that result”, he says. “We have moved on and I am happy with how the players have reacted this week in training.”

“What we can do now is affect the outcome of Saturday’s game and the games between now and the end of the season. Right now, our full focus is on Waterford and it’s a massive game. Both teams are inseparable on points and it promises to be a cracker of a game between two teams who play attacking football so we’re hoping for a big crowd to encourage the players as they can affect things too.  

“The players have reacted well to recent setbacks and we’re looking forward to Saturday. Waterford can really open you up if you’re not on your game and we’ve seen that from them this season. They have plenty of goals in their team and we need to be ready to go from minute one.” 

David Goulden