Finn Harps aim to play football on the front foot - Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers says that the air of positivity around Finn Park is potent, but he agrees the real business starts now as they welcome Galway United to Ballybofey on Friday night. 

The former Nottingham Forest youth team coach says there are no immediate targets in this SSE Airtricity League campaign. Harps dropped out of the Premier Division last term but there were no grand declarations from Rogers about any immediate bounce back there.

Instead, the manager says the simple aim is to take this campaign one game at a time and look to play positive football on the front foot. 

"The target is to win games of football. We'll take that one game at a time and see where it takes us. We're looking no further ahead than Galway on Friday. Anything is a possibility, long term, but our main aim right now is to grow this football club, professionally, structurally and in a way that is sustainable.   

"The enthusiasm and positivity so far has been great. Everyone knows that we're starting from scratch here, it's a clean slate. It's a  complete rebuild and we knew that coming into the position. We're under no illusions coming into this.

"But myself and Darren (Murphy) also believe we're capable of putting together a group of players and - more importantly - a group of people that want to play for Finn Harps for the right reasons. It's been productive, it's been challenging but you get on with it. 

"What we've managed to put together now is a group of players that will run through a brick wall for this football club which, over the last couple of years, probably hasn't happened".

The League of Ireland second tier is made up of the likes of Treaty United from Limerick City, newbies Kerry FC who will be based in Tralee, Cobh Ramblers, Wexford Youths, Waterford, Athlone Town, Galway and Longford Town. So it's fair to say Harps will certainly accumulate miles this season. 

However, Rogers says that shouldn't be any kind of issue.

"I've played in the lower leagues in England, leaving at 6 in the morning for a 3pm kickoff. You'd make the same journey back later on that evening. It's a mentality thing. It's how we prepare during the week, physically and mentally. There will be overnight stays, yeah. But it'll be a mixture there". 

Galway United will be viewed, alongside Waterford, as one of the big favourites to win the division outright. So the weekend's opener will certainly be a measure of just where Harps are currently at under the new regime. Add in the fact that former boss Ollie Horgan has since joined John Caulfield in the Galway dugout, it just adds extra spice to the season opener. 

"It's great for Ollie to come back and I'm sure the fans will give him a great welcome. But for myself, Darren, the rest of the backroom staff and the players, we've got one aim and that's to go try to win a game of football".