Tickets for Thursday evening’s UEFA Europa League Play-Off Second Leg remain on sale. The match kicks off at 8pm in Tallaght Stadium. Coverage on LOITV.

We needed a late Danny Mandroiu goal to draw 1-1 with Galway last Sunday. Were there similarities in how we played against Galway three days after a European game as the other 1-1 draw recently with Drogheda?

“No, I thought we were a lot better on Sunday against Galway. I know we’re all frustrated at the result, we all want to win, but I think given the PAOK away game on Thursday and everything that’s thrown into the mix, I thought there were large parts of the Galway game that were very good. The chance where we hit the bar or other chances go in, it’s a different look on the game. So large parts were good but some parts we can obviously improve upon. But overall I felt a lot from Sunday was good.”

Can there be an inescapable physical and mental effect on the players given our four club games so far this season three days after a European game, where other than Waterford we didn’t reach our levels?

“We know for example you play in Greece on the Thursday night and go down to ten men and travel back Friday but we’re not here to look for excuses. We’re here to find solutions and understand that this is what we want and the level we want to be at. So we need to be careful about reacting to results, we are frustrated, of course we are. In Waterford in the second half, we just dug out a result, we weren’t great in the second half, fatigue set in there. On Sunday against Galway, after the first 15 minutes, I thought we were very very good. It was just the final bit that was a bit off and that sometimes happens. It’s our job to analyse it, understand what happened and not react to a result. So as I said, we’re not here to look for excuses, we’re here to find solutions. Our season, from now until the end, there are games every few days. That’s what we want, it means you’re doing something right. So it’s something to look forward to, it’s a nice challenge and that’s the way we’ll approach it.”

As often, we can find a positive in a disappointing result as we had against Galway. Danny Mandroiu provided that with an excellent header to equalise. It must be really encouraging to have the huge goal threat Danny provides at this stage of the season.

“We know what Danny brings to us. But we need to be careful and understand that Galway are having a good season. We have no divine right to win any game, at any moment. Winning is hard, I know these players have made it look a lot easier the last few years, but winning is hard. So again, we need to be careful about reacting to results. We know Danny is a top level player, we know he scores goals and is such a threat. So it’s just about getting back up to speed again as soon as possible. He got 35 minutes on Sunday and we’ll keep trying to build that without risking him getting injured.”

So to the return leg with PAOK? How do you approach it 4-0 down and injuries and suspensions aside and without giving too much away, do you use this game to give minutes to some players who might need them with a tough schedule ahead?

“In the last few weeks, we’ve been trying to give players minutes and get them up to speed, but also try to balance that with winning games. Tomorrow will be no different. Winning this tie against PAOK is nearly impossible but we can win the game. I thought up until Josh Honohan’s sending-off, we were right in the game and the tie. But when you go down to ten men against that level, it’s a difficult ask. To be fair to the players, they never stopped so I expect no different tomorrow night. So we’ll try and win the game, we understand the tie is nearly impossible to win, but we’ll definitely try win tomorrow night.”

After a disappointing crowd against Galway on Sunday, and given our difficult situation from the first leg, we’re still looking for a big Tallaght crowd to see Rovers put it up to a good European club team and help the lads put on another decent home performance as we’ve done with all three European games at Tallaght Stadium so far this season.

“We do understand that although we’d have liked a full stadium against Galway and would like it tomorrow against PAOK, that we’re asking a lot of our fans in terms of travelling and putting their hands in their pockets and a Sunday evening game doesn’t help either so we understand that. Taking all that in context our fans have been really good with us. They’ve been fantastic and we can’t ask much more from them. But all we can ask is to keep showing up in their numbers as they have done, keep supporting us and we’ll keep giving them everything on the pitch and see where it takes us, both in Europe and the domestically come the end of the season.”

 Josh Honohan is suspended after his two yellows in the first leg. Who else is unavailable for the PAOK second leg?

“Darragh Nugent is unavailable. He picked up a knock last week in the first leg against PAOK. Aaron Greene picked up a knock last Sunday against Galway and will be out for a couple of weeks. Johnny Kenny is back training but won’t be ready for PAOK tomorrow. Other than those, we’ve a few knocks after two tough games but everyone else is ok”.