Rory Gaffney is aiming to put some distance between Shamrock Rovers and the rest of the title challengers ahead of this season’s European campaign.
The Hoops made the group stages of the Europa Conference League last year and banked a cool €4m in UEFA prize money as a result of their exploits.
They will face the winners of the preliminary round - featuring teams from Andorra, San Marino, Montenegro and Iceland - in their Champions League opener.
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A win in that tie - played over two legs in mid-July - and Danish giants Copenhagen will await them in the second round.
Rovers are bidding for another crack and group stage football - and to push this time for progress to the knockouts if they get there.
Last year they picked up just two points as manager Stephen Bradley prioritised his side’s three-in-a-row title bid.
With Rovers currently six points ahead of the rest, with games coming up this weekend against Bohemians and Derry City, Gaffney would love to build up a big lead at the top.
“In a dream world you want to make the group stages and have a 10-point lead going into them,” he said, “but it’s probably unlikely to be that way.
“I suppose if we have two positive results this weekend we will probably be there or thereabouts going into the following week (against Dundalk).”
Gaffney understood the need to focus on the title race last year with Derry City ahead of European glory - once the target of reaching the group stages was met.
“We had bigger games on Sundays in the league to hopefully have another run at it again in the summer,” he said.
While the draws, which took place yesterday and on Tuesday, put eyes back on European football, Gaffney’s attention quickly turned to tomorrow’s Premier Division clash with Bohs.
Rovers have picked up a pair of 2-0 wins against their bitter rivals so far this season and are on the hunt for a hat-trick of victories.
“I suppose you just get up for those games naturally,” he said of the Hoops’ first game back from the international break.
“You go over there, it’s a great atmosphere, sold out, passionate fans, it just makes for a good game. It’s on telly, we know what we have to do.
“All the focus is on Friday. The European draw took that focus away for a couple of minutes, but we can park that until June 30 when that (preliminary round) goes ahead.”
Rovers have managed to open a commanding lead at the top of the table despite opening the campaign with five draws and a defeat in their first six games.
Gaffney offered his reasoning behind the slow start, saying: “I suppose our slip-ups have come off the back of other teams being more competitive.
“We’ve dropped points against Cork twice, Drogheda twice and away to Sligo. We would have come home on the bus saying, they’ll take points off other teams.
“We only play one league game in July and it’s against Drogheda. And we already talk about it being such a hard game. It’s not an easy game, you are not guaranteed three points at all.
“I think (the league) is more competitive. You couldn’t pick the results.
“You are just thinking anyone can take points off anyone and it has thrown up surprises each week. I’d say it will continue to do that.
“Cork have come up and they have a lot of young hungry lads and they have been impressive.
“Sligo signed a couple of lads from outside the league, so you don’t know what you are going to get from them and they have done well at times. Dundalk, the same.
“Shelbourne, again, young, fit lads. They are better than they were last year. They were a hard game last year, they are a hard game this year. There are no easy games.”
Gaffney was speaking as he picked up the SSE Airtricity League Player of the Year award at the FAI International Awards on Tuesday night.
“I don’t know who nominated or picked this, but obviously it’s a great honour anytime to get an award,” he said.
“But off the back of such a successful team last year, to be the standout player in that team is an even greater honour.”
