League Preview: Longford Town -v- Drogheda United

Longford Town welcome Drogheda United to the City Calling Stadium this Saturday as both have hopes of jumping into the top half of the table. Kick-off is 7.30pm.

LONGFORD TOWN

Longford are part of a mini group in the league table, as they fight with Galway United, Bray Wanderers and Saturday’s opponents Drogheda for a top half finish in sixth place. Currently leading at the minute are the turned around Bray sitting on twenty-three points after beating Galway, who are now a point behind Bray and level with Longford.

Longford are now in seventh by virtue of a one goal better goal difference over Galway. Their goal difference was affected last weekend as Cork put four past them in the City Calling Stadium. One of the few positives form the match is that Dean Kelly’s consolation goal at the end was in second in two games and fans will be hoping of more of the same.

Longford have had troubles at the back recently conceding eleven goals in their last five games. They had conceded only nineteen in the previous fifteen matches. Da Twon have fared slightly better at home only conceding thirteen in ten games, six of which came in three of those last five games.

Pat Flynn and Don Cowan will miss out on the match against Drogheda United through injury while Conor Dunne has left the club and joined Athlone Town.

DROGHEDA UNITED

Drogheda are currently at the bottom of the mini-group, although only by a point as they have twenty-one points in ninth place, and a win could see them take sixth place from Bray Wanderers. The Drogs will be hoping to stop a rot of two consecutive losses after they lost 2-0 to St Patrick’s Athletic last weekend.

Speaking to droghedaunited.ie, Johnny McDonnell felt his side performed well against St Pats but was realistic in saying that points are what is needed, saying “I think every result in this league is important because you can never be too sure of where your next win is going to come from. While we have played well against the top teams in the league, we haven’t picked up many positive results in those games.”

While Drogheda are less than a win away from the top half of the table, they are also only five points ahead of the relegation place. The Drogheda boss spoke on the compact table saying, “Given how close it is between the bottom half and the foot of the table, we need to stay in touch and the best way to do that is to get results against the teams around us.”

James Daly and Dylan Connolly are still long term absentees for Drogheda while Fionn Reilly, Adam Whelan and Lloyd Buckley will be also unavailable for the match against Longford Town.

Referee: James McKell

MATCH STATS

In the earlier match this season, a Mark Salmon double and a Dave O’Sullivan goal saw Longford beat a ten men Drogheda United, who had Sean Thornton sent off.

Drogheda have won their last two league games away from home – beating Bohemians 1-0 after getting a 2-1 win against Limerick.

Longford have been in sixth or seventh since March, a loss to Drogheda would see them drop to eighth.

BETTING

Longford Town 5/6; Draw 5/2; Drogheda United 3/1

PREDICTION

Longford Town 1-2 Drogheda United

Longford Town

Injured: Pat Flynn, Don Cowan

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Drogheda United

Injured: Fionn Reilly, Lloyd Buckley, Adam Whelan, James Daly, Dylan Connolly

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None