League Preview: St. Patrick's Athletic -v- Bohemians

Tuesday evening is Dublin derby night in Richmond Park as SSE Airtricity League champions St Patrick’s Athletic host rivals Bohemians (kick-off 7.45pm). 

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

The Saints will be looking to further strengthen their hopes of a top three spot and secure European football for next season, while their opponents will be looking to maintain their push for a fifth place finish in the league standings. 

Saints’ manager Liam Buckley confirmed to stpatsfc.com that he has no injury worries ahead of the game – Killian Brennan returning to contention following a groin injury and Ger O’Brien having shaken off a knock sustained in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Shamrock Rovers. 
 

The Saints are also boosted by the return to league action of Ken Oman and Greg Bolger who both served one match suspensions last Friday. 
 

“We played Bohemians recently in Inchicore in the FAI Ford Cup so we know well what strengths they have.  They gave us a really good game in that Quarter-Final so we know they’ll give us another tough challenge on Tuesday night.  That being said though, we’ll look to get our performance right and try and get the three points,” Buckley commented. 
 

For Saints’ skipper Ger O’Brien, the game gives the Saints to go that one step closer to securing European football for next season – a target the whole of the team wish to secure before the season’s final game, while O’Brien also expressed his desire to win the Saints’ final league Dublin derby of the season. 
 

“After the draw against Rovers on Friday, it would be great to sign off in our last Dublin derby in the league with a win against Bohs,” O’Brien told stpatsfc.com.  “Three points would nearly secure a top three finish and get the club back into Europe next year.  That’s a target we have as a group, to get back into Europe, as we know how much that means to the fans, and for us as players, it’s what we want to be doing every year.” 

“Bohemians will be coming to Richmond though with the aim of winning as they ran us very close recently.  The lads know it won’t be an easy game, but we’re on a good unbeaten run at the moment so we’ll be looking to maintain that momentum from now till the end of the season.” 

BOHEMIANS

Starting with Tuesday's Dublin derby at Richmond Park, Owen Heary is targeting four big results against four teams currently ahead of his side as he bids to secure a top-half finish in his first full season in charge of Bohemians.

"One of the best things about us at the moment is that we have no fear," he said. "We're not in any danger of relegation, so the lads are able to get to grips with games.

"It's all to play for. We've four games left against four teams ahead of us (Pat's, Sligo, Cork and Derry). None of them are going to be easy but we want to prove ourselves against those sides and get as high a position as we can."

Heary believes his side are gathering momentum after two positive results last week. "Even though the Shamrock Rovers game (1-1, Tuesday) was a big derby, in many ways the game against Limerick was more important for us," he said.

"Beating Limerick (2-0, Friday) puts us four points clear of them in seventh. If we were to beat Pat's, that would leave us level on points with Sligo Rovers who are in fifth and come to Dalymount next week.

"Bar the first league game at Richmond in April (1-3), we've always given them a game," he said. "We threw everything at them in the Cup game. We were very disappointed to come out with nothing having been in touching distance of bringing them to a replay."

The date for this game was brought forward to Tuesday due to St Pat's Ford FAI Cup semi-final against Finn Harps this Sunday in a competition they have not won since 1961.

Even though the defending league champions are all but out of the title race and have a massive Cup tie looming, Heary is not expecting the game to be any easier.

"We can't be worrying about what Pat's are thinking. We have to do our own job," he said.

Younger members of the Bohs squad have come in for much praise this season, but it was the experienced trio of Jason Byrne (36), Dave Mulcahy (36) and Anto Murphy (32) that provided the talking points after the win against Limerick.

Byrne and Mulcahy grabbed the goals, while Murphy returned after seven weeks out with an ankle injury.

Heary added: "It was great to have Anto back. In the last few minutes, we were able to throw him on to get some game-time to get his sharpness and awareness back up.

"He had a tough tackle put in on him too, so that was a good test. He's back sooner than we expected but you could see he was exhausted after five minutes.

"Jayo came up trumps with a lovely little dink and Muller, who was unlucky not to score against Rovers too, had a good finish to allow us to see out the game easily enough in the end."

Paddy Kavanagh (personal commitments) returns to the squad, but Jason Byrne (knee) and Eoin Wearen (foot) are minor doubts. Kevin Devaney (toe) and Dano Byrne (cruciate) remain sidelined.

Referee: D McKeon

MATCHSTATS

St Pat’s are winning in the head-to-head’s this season. In four games, they have won twice, the home league game in April (3-1) and the FAI Cup Quarter-Final at Richmond Park earlier this month (2-3). Bohs' only victory against Pats in four meetings came in the EA Sports Cup (3-2) in May. There was a drawn league game at Dalymount in July (1-1).

St Pat’s have registered 11 wins at home from 15 games. Bohemians have played 14 away games but only four of those resulted in a win.

20 points separate the two teams ahead of Tuesday’s game. In 2013, on the final day, St Pat’s were 42 points ahead of their Dublin rivals.

St Pat’s are on an 8 game unbeaten run in all competitions – 6 wins and 2 draws. They last lost against Limerick in the league on 18^th August.

BETTING

St Patrick’s Athletic 3/4; Draw 23/10; Bohemians 15/4

PREDICITION

St Pat’s to win by one goal. 2-1.

St. Patrick’s Athletic
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
 

Bohemians
Injured: Kevin Devaney (toe), Dan Byrne (cruciate)
Doubtful: Jason Byrne (knee), Eoin Wearen (foot)
Suspended: None