PAUL CORRY, ONCE of Shamrock Rovers and now a pundit on eir Sport’s League of Ireland coverage, believes Rovers’ European tie with SK Brann tonight is a defining point of their season. 

Roberto Lopes’ late, late equaliser in the first leg in Norway earned Rovers a 2-2 draw in the opening leg of their Europa League first qualifying round clash. Two away goals means Rovers are in the better position to progress ahead of tonight’s return leg at Tallaght Stadium [KO 8pm, live eir Sport.]

“You would imagine, in the bigger picture, it is going to be quite a defining moment”, Corry told The42. 

“You imagine Dundalk will go on and win the League, and so there will be pressure on Rovers to do something in the FAI Cup or get through a round in Europe.

“For the club it is quite a big game, and it is a good barometer for the League, how we do in Europe.” 

Corry has been broadly impressed with his former team this season, although says they are missing a couple of final pieces to the jigsaw if they are to topple Dundalk at the top of the League. 

“Everybody is aware of what a good possession team they have become.

“The likes of Jack Byrne has stood out. He is probably among the top three players across the League, in terms of the chances he’s created, how he has dictated games and how he has got on the ball.

“Also Aaron McEneff, he has come in and added some goals from midfield. When he has been out of the team they have really missed him.

“Comparing to when I was there two years ago, they definitely have a better understanding of how to keep the ball, how to make the pitch big, and how to manoeuvre the opposition to create chances.

“The final two pieces of the jigsaw are a bit of pace out wide and a front man, and if they had those,they would probably push Dundalk.

Their ability to control games is much better this year; there’s been a lot more control and tempo to their game this year.I know how Stephen Bradley wants to play, they are much closer now to what he wants. They need someone who scores more goals, but I also think they need more goals from midfield. When McEneff came out of the team, the other midfielders are all very similar; they all want to come toward the ball. That is great to wear teams down once there is something at the end of it, but sometimes you can be passing the ball for the sake of passing it.

“I look at Ronan [Finn], I feel his game has changed in the last number of years and I don’t know if he is as threatening as he was previously.

“I would like to see more people running beyond the centre-forward – that would be a definite improvement.

“Farrugia, when he gets back, will offer them something different and I think that will be so important. When teams sit in against them they struggle to get beyond them.

“That can allow more space for Jack Byrne to create. Sometimes I think they can be too one-dimensional: ‘give the ball to Jack and see what Jack can do and if that doesn’t work, then where do we go from there?’” 

That said, Corry feels tonight’s tie is ideally set up for Rovers’ strengths.

“It really fits into how they play, as they don’t have to go hunting for goals. They know they don’t have to go hunting for goals, and that if they keep it tight at the back they’ll go through with a 0-0 or a 1-1. 

“I think you’ll see that in how they set up. I think they’ll play 5 at the back, with their three centre-halves and two wing-backs.

“I think they are set up for it.” 

McEneff will be available for Rovers, and their only injury absentee is Neil Farrugia.