Shamrock Rovers are capable of going the remainder of the season unbeaten on current form according to former St Patrick's Athletic manager Johnny McDonnell.
Stephen Bradley's side made a very slow start to an SSE Airtricity League campaign which they are aiming to win for a fourth season in a row, failing to gain a victory in their opening six games including a defeat to Derry City at Tallaght Stadium.
But last Friday at their home venue, the Hoops beat derby rivals Bohemians 2-0 for the second time in the space of a month - not without controversy however in light of the non-award of a penalty to Bohs.
That three points caps a recent revival in form that has seen them avoid defeat, winning six of their last eight matches in the process along with the same number of clean sheets.
That has fired them up the table and within a point of Premier Division leaders Bohs who face third-placed Derry City this Friday.
And with momentum on their side, McDonnell is tipping Rovers to go through the gears between now and November and make it hard for prospective competitors to keep pace.
"I think Shamrock Rovers can go unbeaten all season," he told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast of his expectations for the six months to come.
"I've seen them in the last five matches against different opposition - UCD, Pat's, Bohs twice and the Derry match - and I really think they have the ability at the high standard they play at that they can go unbeaten (for the rest of the) season. It doesn't mean they will win every match."
Speaking on the podcast, former Shamrock Rovers, UCD and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Paul Corry said their primary rivals for the title race, Bohemians and Derry City, need to maintain momentum in time for when the Hoops could be impacted by the rigous of another long European qualification campaign.
"I think on that, Bohs and Derry need to stay close to Shamrock Rovers at least until the European campaign," he said.
"That Rovers team are absolutely planning for another pop at a group stage and we all know the kind of travel that goes into that, the mental and physical toll.
"I really think you need to be within striking distance that if they are to slip up that you can take advantage of it."
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Follow Real Madrid v Manchester City via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, or watch live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player.
