Sligo Rovers Women’s Senior team manager Steve Feeney is looking forward to the trip to Tolka Park today for a joust with defending Champions Shelbourne and his counterpart Noel King.

Only four games into the new season and the Bit O’ Red already have a win to their credit and three goals in the bank after encouraging displays against Peamount, DLR Waves and Bohemian FC and that all-important victory away to Cork City.

“Shelbourne will be a big test for us this weekend at Tolka Park, we are under no illusions on that front,” commented Feeney.

“Playing the likes of Shelbourne and good teams like that will improve us in the long-term, we will be totally focused on that challenge now for Saturday

“If we can find a little bit of improvement in our own performance every week then we will be okay over the season and that starts again at Tolka Park next Saturday,” he added.

Feeney was a little bit disappointed with the result against Bohemians last Saturday although he was full of praise for the character of his team.

“I couldn’t fault the commitment against Bohemians, but the decision-making and the final pass let us down a lot of the time.

“We gave away a couple of softish type of goals and that was disappointing also.

“On a more positive note, it was only our fourth game at this level and we are only getting used to the demands, the intensity of the games and even the size of the pitch is something new for a lot of the players.

“We have to take that into consideration and we are working really hard in trying to build up the fitness levels.

“To get our players to a position where they will be comfortable at this level for 90 minutes, that’s the first target.

“Four games into the season and we have a win on the board, we have scored home and away, we are making progress.

“The players have to get used to each other, to get used to different formations, the players are developing all the time

“The attitude was excellent against Bohemians, it was the type of game where the bounce of the ball wasn’t in our favour.

“The previous week in Cork we got the breaks, but the players never gave up, they gave it 100 per cent for the 90 minutes and we will do the same at Tolka Park on Saturday,” he concluded.

The game takes place at 2pm and will be shown live on LOI TV.