Sligo and Wateford looking to lay down an early marker

Sligo Rovers and Waterford will start the new campaign under the lights at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening, with both teams going into the season hoping to kick on from last time out.

With the Bit O'Red finishing sixth and Waterford seventh last season, both sides probably met expectations as Rovers improved on their eighth-placed finish in 2023, while Waterford cemented their place in the league after winning promotion.

Operating under one of the smallest budgets in the league, Sligo boss John Russell has had to be creative with his incoming and outgoing players and has, at the time of writing, brought eight new additions in, with the possibility of more to come.

Big things are expected of midfielder Jad Hakiki, who signed on a two-year deal from Dundalk and has been impressive in pre-season, while former Hibernians player and Co Cavan native Jake Doyle-Hayes will be hoping to kickstart his career after an injury-ravaged spell where he played just two matches in 18 months.

Russell has had to wheel and deal to keep the balance of his squad in the right place, having seen the likes of Ellis Chapman and Simon Power move on, having established themselves at the Showgrounds last season.

It remains a work in progress and with Harvey Lintott the only player that Russell has brought in on loan at present, the Sligo boss is looking to that market to strengthen further.

"I'll be hoping to get definitely one, hopefully two players in before the deadline," Russell said. "There's a lot of work going on in the background.

"We do have loan options. I definitely want to bring in a midfielder and a defender, they are the two positions that I think will definitely help the squad.

"We're maybe going into the unknown a little with Waterford