Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley has said that results elsewhere will prove to be nothing other than white noise should his side play the way he knows that they can.
The Premier Division leaders maintained their four-point buffer over St Pat's at the top of the table following Friday night’s 1-0 win over Dundalk, and Bradley said that the four-in-a-row chasing Hoops have the knowhow to remain in front.
"We’ve been here before, we know what it takes," he told RTÉ Sport
"We know that if we do our stuff it doesn’t matter what happens anywhere else in the country.
"It’s about focussing on tonight, three points, recover, reflect, focus on Bohs next week."
Pico Lopes grabbed the winner at Tallaght in the 62nd minute and Bradley said that he was much happier with what he saw after the break following a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the hosts.
"I thought first half we were a little bit sloppy; we were a bit nervy in the final third. We crossed too early, we didn’t make the extra pass, we let them off the hook and as a result, it became a transition game.
"That’s where they’re really dangerous and you saw that in the first half. Second half we took that out of them by taking the extra pass and I thought we controlled the game second half."
'We know if we do our stuff, it doesn't matter what happens anywhere in the country’ – Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley says the focus is only internal as they move closer to a fourth successive league title #rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/w7YtrSs2G4
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 25, 2023
"We built up to the final third and then we were too quick to get into the box, we should have kept working it," he added. "As a result, they go deeper and you kill transition, but we didn’t do that and they hurt us in the first half."
Bradley's charges were returning to action after two weeks off following a difficult summer which saw their league form falter somewhat, their European hopes easily extinguished while Dundalk dumped them out of the FAI Cup.
Their manager said that a break isn’t always beneficial for the side, even when results have been mixed, but that it has helped with their squad options for the title race run-in.
GOAL – Rovers break the deadlock as centre-half Pico Lopes meets Dylan Watts' corner to put the league leaders ahead #rtesoccer
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 25, 2023
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"I like when this team plays regular football, I think they’re at their best when they’re playing.
"Obviously we got knocked out of the cup, but it allowed us to get injured players back so next week we’ll have Neil [Farrugia] and hopefully Jack [Byrne] back as well so the squad is in a really good position."
