JACK BYRNE reckons Shamrock Rovers’ know-how will give them the edge against Shelbourne tomorrow.
But he believes the Hoops have to learn how to control games in Europe.
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Byrne came off the bench against APOEL Nicosia and delivered the corner from which Dylan Watts headed home to earn ten-man Rovers a point in their opening Conference League fixture.
With Stephen Bradley’s side trailing leaders Shels by five points with just four games left, there is no margin for error.
Byrne acknowledged: “Well, if we lose, we won’t win the league, so we have to win.
“But we’ve been in this position before, and they haven’t.
“It’s massive obviously, it’s going to be a big game, a big crowd here, we’re used to these big games, we’re chasing our fifth league title.
“It will be different for Shels, it will be different for Damien [Duff], our manager will be in the stands but that won’t make a difference.”
Asked if he had played his way into the team with his contribution off the bench, Byrne said: “I don’t know, we’ll see.”
The ex-Ireland international admitted he was disappointed to have been left out of the starting XI to face his former club but said he accepted Bradley’s decision, particularly given the outcome even if Watts was an unlikely hero.
Byrne said: “I was just told I wasn’t playing. Obviously we have 20 players that are good enough for the team.
“I’m not going to stand here and say I’m happy sitting on the bench because no one is, I want to play every minute of every game.
“But we know we have a big end of the season, the manager is the manager for a reason, he picks the team so we have to respect that.
“The manager had a system and it paid off because we got a result.
“I couldn’t believe he scored. When we were celebrating at the end – because I’d gone up the line after we scored – Wattsy was still in the crowd so I said ‘Who scored?’ and he said ‘I did’.
“I couldn’t believe it, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him head the ball.
“But he’s been unbelievable this season, our best player by a mile, I think, so he deserved that.
“And you know I’m sure he’ll have a big end of the season.”
EUROPEAN NIGHTS
As well as four league games, Rovers will have at least five more European matches and – although teams such as Larne and TNS may not pose the same challenge as APOEL – Byrne is keen for his side to give a better account of themselves.
He said: “To be honest, they were the better side for 90 minutes in the game.
“But for one minute in the 90, we were the better side and scored.
“We have to do better, we have to start taking the game to opposition especially when we play in Tallaght, we can’t give the game up for 20 minutes at the start. We know that as players.
“I’m sure the manager will go through it and reflect on it, and look to change something going into the Larne game.
“I don’t think we’ll be giving up as much of the game going into that.
“Because we’ve got good players, so we need to start showing that.
“We have to play better, we have to start better.
“But I’m sure we will, we’ll obviously look at the game and see where we can improve.
“That was Cypriot opposition, and we’re playing against Northern Irish opposition and then Welsh opposition.
“So they’re going to be different and we have to look where we can be better.
“On the ball we can improve.”
