Ollie Horgan believes his Finn Harps side must improve their performances if they want to get a result against Shelbourne on Friday night.
Finn Harps have struggled at home this season, picking up just two points from their six games in front of the Finn Park faithful, and they will be hoping to change that against Shelbourne.
Damien Duff’s side are the only team Finn Harps have beat this season, winning 3-0 at Tolka Park thanks to goals from Ethan Boyle, Conor Tourish and Eric McWoods, and Horgan will be hoping for a repeat of that performance.
But the Reds, like Finn Harps, have struggled at home with just one point from a possible 18.
They have however, been impressive away from home losing just once, with three wins including a 2-1 win against top of the league Derry City.
And Ollie Horgan knows that it won’t be an easy game and his side will have to improve on recent results.
Horgan said: “That result (at Tolka Park) might have been a little bit flattering to us.
“I don’t think too many teams are going to win at the Brandywell this season and they did already.
“They’re extremely fit and organised. They have huge threats in loads of areas and we need to be better than we have been in recent weeks to get anything out of it.
“I think they’re the fittest side in the league and they will be a handful.”
Horgan has praised the supporters who have come out and backed the team despite the poor run of results at home.
So far this season, Finn Park has averaged just over 1,900 spectators per games, with the next best season since 2016 being just shy of 1,300.
Horgan hopes the players can repay the fans who have been there for them all season.
“I think our own support, while we haven’t got great results there has been brilliant, especially when we’ve gone behind in games.
“They nearly got us a draw against Sligo by sticking with us when they could have easily turned on us. But we need them to continue to come out and support us because this might get worse before it’ll get better and without a doubt it’ll be the toughest year that I’ve been here, but we knew that before the season.
“I’ve nothing but praise for the supporters that have been out there and that’s not to try and buy them over, it’s because I think they know what we have ahead of us and please god they can try and keep us in the division because we need them.”
Kick-off at Finn Park is at 8pm.
