Lee Grace has rubbished claims of a worrying start for Shamrock Rovers and insists a win tonight will see them hit their stride.
The three-in-a-row champions are second bottom of the Premier Division following Friday’s 2-1 home defeat to chief title rivals Derry City.
Grace was suspended for that game - but will return against Cork City this evening - but saw his team-mates turn in a top display that just lacked a finishing touch.
Rovers opened the new campaign with a draw in Sligo and backed it up with another in Drogheda, having let leads slip in both games.
But they are only five points off early pace-setters Derry and centre-back Grace is adamant there is no reason to panic.
City will travel in confidence having smashed UCD 4-0 on Friday but Grace said: “It’s good to get back on the horse and try to put it right.
“You would like to be top of the league, but it’s not where we are at the moment. It’s three games in and it’s a long season.
“We just have to hit a bit of form. If we win one, we’ll put a run together and the table will look very different in a few weeks to what it is now. I’ve no doubt about it.
“We just need to hit our form tonight and take three points.”
Grace continued: “Someone said in the dressing room on Friday night that we’ve been here before.
“Derry beat us at the start of last season, I think it was the second game. We know what we have to do and it starts tonight.”
Grace was a frustrated spectator in the stands for Friday’s clash with Derry having served a suspension.
Rovers were missing their first-choice back three of Pico Lopes, Dan Cleary and Grace who were all serving bans arising from the opening two games.
Cleary and Grace are back tonight having only been hit with one game for respective second yellow card offences, but Lopes serves the last of his three-games.
Grace said: “The lads were disappointed on Friday but they were very good and especially in the first-half.
“We dominated and their goal was against the run of play. Second-half, we had some good chances. We just have to be more clinical in the final third.
“We need to take our chances when they come and cut out the individual mistakes. Derry, I think, had three shots on target in the whole game and we got punished.
“But we’re only three games in and I think that will come with sharpness and fitness. It’s a marathon not a sprint. No panic stations yet.
“It’s two draws and one loss. It’s not a disaster, of a start. Obviously, two points out of nine it’s not where we want to be.
“It’s hard to put a finger on why we started slow last year and this year but we’ll get to it soon enough and we’ll be in a better position.”
Rovers host a Rebels side that picked up a much-needed lift on Friday after back-to-back defeats to Bohemians and Derry City in the opening two weeks.
But on-loan Celtic goalkeeper Tobi Oluwayemi is likely to miss out with a groin injury having been forced to sit out the UCD win.
Former Ireland youth international Jimmy Corcoran stepped into the team and City boss Colin Healy said: “It will be a tough challenge for us tonight.
“But it’s one we’re looking forward to. We’ll go up there with confidence after the win against UCD.
“It’s a big game for us but hopefully we can put in a good performance.”
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