League Preview: Dundalk -v- Limerick
Dundalk will be looking to get back to winning ways in the SSE Airtricity League when they welcome relegation-threatened Limerick to Oriel Park on Friday night.
DUNDALK
A home defeat to Shamrock Rovers was followed by a 1-1 draw at Sligo Rovers last weekend in what has been a disappointing couple of weeks for Dundalk, who appear to be now playing out the season.
One positive for Stephen Kenny is that he has a full squad of players to choose from ahead of the visit of Limerick as Patrick McEleney – who Kenny confirmed earlier this week will be going nowhere until the end of the season at least – returns to fitness after missing the last two matches with a groin injury.
“We have a fully fit squad to choose from on Friday. It’s important to maintain a high level of performance on Friday against a team who are scrapping for points”, said Kenny.
One player that has departed Oriel Park however is striker Ciaran Kilduff, who’s moved to Jacksonville Armada in the North American Soccer League – the same league which Dundalk signed Thomas Stewart from, who as a result of Kilduff’s departure, could find himself more involved between now and October.
“Players are scoring around the team. We want to score as many as possible at the moment and take the pressure off each other. Winning matches gives confidence and we have the cup games coming now so we will be rotated – we need everyone on their toes for the games coming”, said Stewart.
“We know that each game is going to be difficult with teams fighting for their lives and fighting for different things but we will kick on from here.
“We want to pick up as many points as we can. We want to win the two cup competitions that is left available to us. We are doing the right things at the moment. We want to win as much as possible and finish the season quite strongly.”
LIMERICK
Neil McDonald’s side are now just five points above the relegation zone after last week’s 3-0 defeat to Derry City at Maginn Park and the manner of that display will have worried the Limerick faithful.
“We’re playing against the Champions. We have to regroup and lick our wounds, and try to get our confidence back over the next three or four days in training and make sure that we’re ready against Dundalk”, said McDonald following that demoralising defeat to Derry.
The departures of experienced duo Paul O’Conor and Robbie Williams to St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City respectively won’t have helped matters while right-back Shaun Kelly, who made over 100 league appearances for The Shannonsiders, has also been released from his contract during the past week.
“It’s going to be very tough (against Dundalk). We have to stay positive. We just have to move on – it’s how you react and hopefully we can go up to Dundalk and try and get some points. We’re going to put Derry behind us, train as hard as we can and carry on”, said winger Chiedozie Ogbene when speaking to Limerick’s official website.
“It will be very difficult obviously. Dundalk are a very strong team who compete in the Champions League so it’s never easy going up there but we just have to be positive and go up there to get a result.”
Referee: Derek Tomney
MATCH FACTS
This will be the 225th meeting of both sides and Dundalk have emerged victorious on 121 occasions whereas Limerick have won 56 times since winning the very first encounter 2-0 back in October 1937.
Limerick arrive at Oriel Park in search of their first win in eight matches against Dundalk – their last victory came when Rory Gaffney scored a brace in a 2-1 win at the Louth venue in September 2013.
Should Dundalk fail to win against Limerick, it would be the first time they’ve failed to win in three consecutive league matches since drawing with Shamrock Rovers, Galway United and Cork City in 2015.
BETTING
Dundalk 1/3; Draw 4/1; Limerick 9/1
PREDICITON
Dundalk 1-0 Limerick
Dundalk
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Limerick
Injured: Unknown.
Doubtful: Unknown.
Suspended: None.
