League Preview: Wexford -v- Shelbourne

WEXFORD

Wexford opened the season with a spirited win away at Cabinteely, and since that game have been unable to pick up a point.

They lost on the road to Longford and Finn Harps but, most worryingly or indeed embarrassingly, was the 8-1 hammering they suffered at home to Drogheda United.

Damian’s Locke’s men can take something of a moral victory from last week’s narrow defeat in Ballybofey. They played good football and were right in the game to the end despite playing the majority of the second half with ten men.

As a result of that red card they will be without Owen McCormack, who will serve his suspension.

Locke took real positives from the game speaking to the Wexford club website.

"I was really happy with the Harps performance, it was a good response from the boys.

“Unfortunately we got nothing from the game. Shels on Friday night will bring a different threat but if we match the level of performance last week we will be well in the game.”

Goalkeeper Kealan Gaffney, who spent some time at Shelbourne’s underage teams, looks set to retain the number one jersey. Aaron Dobbs will be available for selection after returning from international duty with the Republic of Ireland U21s.

SHELBORUNE  

Shelbourne will play their second game in five days this evening, after dumping Premier Division side Bray Wanderers out of the EA Sports Cup on Monday night at the Carlisle Grounds.

Owen Heary’s men are unbeaten since their opening day loss away at UCD.

Since then they have drawn with Finn Harps, beaten Longford and Cobh Ramblers and dumped Bray Wanderers out of the league cup.

Again this week manager Owen Heary will be without a number of players through injury. Aidan Collins, Mark Hughes and Alan Byrne, who all missed Monday night’s game against Bray, are joined on the sidelines by Derek Prendergast.

Speaking to the club website ahead of the game, manager Owen Heary had this to say;

“Every game is difficult. There’s not much between a lot of teams in this league. I think that’s evident over the last couple of matches 3-2 against Longford, 1-0 against Cobh and I think it’s the same all around the league.

“So we’re hoping that we can go down there and get three points, or a point, from the game and come back and keep building.

“We’re trying to get a little run going where we’re not getting defeated, so if we can build on last week’s performance and get something from this game, then it’s a good start overall.”

Referee: Andrew Mullally

MATCH STATS

At the start of last season, Shelbourne had a 4-2 win over Wexford in the Leinster Senior Cup, as the Reds set out on the campaign which culminated with the winning of the trophy, defeating Dundalk 4-2 after extra time in the final.

The two sides met four times in the league last year’s league sharing the wins equally at two apiece.

There were eight goals scored over the four league meetings last year, or 12 goals in five games including the Leinster Senior Cup meeting.

Wexford are currently the league’s lowest scoring team with only two goals in four league games.

BETTING

Wexford 7/2; Shelbourne 4/6; Draw 12/5

PREDICTION

Wexford 0-2 Shelbourne  

Wexford  

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: Owen McCormack

Shelbourne

Injured: Aidan Collins, Mark Hughes, Derek Prendergast, Alan Byrne.

Doubtful: None.  

Suspended: None.