Uefa Conference League matchday three
Shamrock Rovers v TNS (Thursday, 5.45pm, live on TNT Sports 4)
FORMER Derry City player Rory Holden has been telling his TNS team-mates what to expect against Shamrock Rovers in their European clash at Tallaght Stadium.
Holden, along with fellow Derry native Joshua Daniels, knows all about the Hoops having faced them on a number of occasions while playing for the Candystripes.
And Holden thinks the Dubliners will be like a wounded animal after they just missed out in what would have been a historic fifth league title in-a-row after Shelbourne pipped them to the crown.
TNS, who have won their last seven games in all competitions and sit on three Conference League points, just one behind Rovers, will travel to Dublin knowing a victory would give them a huge chance of progressing.
“Myself and Josh know all about Rovers,” said Holden.
“We’ve been telling the boys what to expect, but our coaching staff and manager [Craig Harrison] have done their homework on Rovers which, to be fair, they do for every game.
“We know Rovers missed out on the league title on Friday night, but they won again [against Waterford] and they are in a good run of form, so we know it’s going to be tough, but we’re going to Tallaght in good form ourselves.”
Holden for TNS in last month’s famous 2-0 win over Astana, the club’s first win in a European group stage, which followed an impressive display in Italy before losing 2-0 to the beaten finalists from the past two seasons, Fiorentina.
“I have to say playing in Europe has been dream come true stuff this season,” he said.
“Obviously playing against Fiorentina was unreal and we played well against them for about an hour and then they got the first goal, but even though we lost 2-0, the whole experience was unbelievable.”
