Conor Kearns acknowledges that in order to keep their lead in the league intact, his Shelbourne team needs to reclaim their early-season form.
The Reds have a commanding lead at the top of the table after winning six straight games in February and March. Shels could even lose their position by the time they play away to Derry City on Monday night (7.45 p.m.), as second-place Shamrock Rovers could pass them if they defeat Waterford in the 5 p.m. match.
Goalie Kearns might be delighted of his team’s three straight clean sheets, but Damien Duff’s squad needs a reset after dropping points since their victory against Dundalk at home in March. They have only won once in their last seven games.
More than anyone else, the management has reiterated this point. The league is in its second round, according to Kearns. Shels will go to Derry following a 0-0 draw with Dundalk on Friday.
“It doesn’t feel like a big deal or something that is really important at this time. It becomes significant in rounds three and four.
“Over the past few years, our league has shown that anyone can finish at the top in April or May. The important part of the season is when it gets to that point.
“At the moment, improving performance is the top priority. We had been doing that with Pat’s and Rovers for the past few weeks, but on Friday we took a small plunge. Although we weren’t entirely satisfied with our performance, Dundalk deserves credit for earning a valuable point.
We take great satisfaction in being difficult to score on and difficult to defeat. We most likely went through a brief period of time when we were sacrificing careless ambitions, which was unusual for us.
Therefore, it’s a pleasant feeling to have consecutive clean sheets, and we wish to maintain it.
“Whatever others think about that game when we go up there (Derry), it does not alter our own approach to it. Over the last couple of years, people have looked upon Shelbourne’s expectations differently than how we have looked upon it.
“The fact that the game is on TV is fantastic for the league and for publicity, but it cannot change our strategy for the match. Because of the team’s improvement, we are heading up there with more ambition than we did a few years ago.
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