Play-off Preview: UCD -v- Finn Harps

UCD

UCD entertain Finn Harps at the UCD Bowl as the First Division promotion/relegation playoffs get underway this Friday evening (kick-off 7.45pm).

UCD secured a victory in their last First Division game of the season with a 0-1 win away win over Waterford United thanks to a 76^th minute winner from Mick Leahy. A result which saw them finish in 3^rd place, four points above Shelbourne in fourth.

Manager Collie O’Neill is fully aware of the size of the task facing the Students when speaking to www.ucdsoccer.ie, he said, “Finn Harps will be many people’s favourites going into the game and deservedly so. They have had a great season and dominated us only a few weeks ago. We are going to have to improve a lot on our recent performances and be at our best to have a chance.”

The Students will be hoping to produce a display good enough to gain an important advantage going into the second leg at Finn Park on 30^th October.

FINN HARPS  

Finn Harps will make the journey to the capital this Friday evening in a bid to take something back with them to the North West for the turnaround in seven days’ time.

The Harps will go into this vital first leg full of confidence and belief having finished 2^nd in the table and securing their playoff spot a number of weeks ago. On the final day of matches, Finn Harps dispatched the runaway league champions Wexford Youth 4-1 in emphatic fashion and will go into this playoff game with a lot of belief.

Manager, Ollie Horgan is not taking anything for granted and has warned against his side getting complacent telling www.finnharps.ie, “UCD are an excellent footballing side who have a great mixture of experience with young, very talented players. We will have our work cut out against them in the two games”.

Finn Harps will hope to reproduce a similar kind of performance this time round and Horgan feels that previous results count for very little stating, “Even though we beat in our most recent game against them, previous form doesn’t matter from here on in. UCD themselves have won their last two games without conceding a goal so we know that anything we get will be hard earned”.

The Harps will be aiming to reproduce the same level of performance last time out to take something with them back to Donegal for the return leg.

Referee: Ben Connolly

MATCH STATS

In the three previous meetings this season, there has been little to choose between UCD and Finn Harps with a win each and two draws. The sides drew 2-2 in the first game at the UCD Bowl and again they could not be separated with another 2-2 stalemate at Finn Park.

UCD edged Finn Harps 1-0 and Finn Harps enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win in the final match at home with goals from Nathan Boyle, Gareth Harkin and Raymond Foy.

UCD have had mixed fortunes lately with two wins in their last five games. The Students have won two games on the spin which stopped a run of three consecutive defeats.

Finn Harps have been in great form recently with three wins and a draw in their last five which included an impressive 4-1 defeat of league champions Wexford Youths.

BETTING

UCD 13/10 Draw 9/4 Finn Harps 9/5

PREDICTION

UCD 1-1 Finn Harps

UCD

Injured: Robbie Benson, Ryan McLaughlin, Greg Sloggett

Doubtful: None

Suspensions: Chris Mulhall

Finn Harps

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspensions: None