Waterford United -v- UCD
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The First Division promotion race heats up on Saturday night as second Waterford United take on third place UCD in a game both will want to win in order to keep in touch with league leaders Shelbourne. A win for UCD will see the Students leapfrog Waterford into second, five points behind Shels. A Blues victory will move them within three points of the Reds. Kick off in the RSC is 19:00.
Following their FAI Ford Cup exploits of the past week, when it took two games to overcome a dogged Crumlin United side, the Blues face into a tough series of matches - over the next three league games they will play the third, fourth and fifth placed teams in the division, albeit with the first two at the RSC.
It has been over ten years since the Students were last beaten on Suirside. In fact UCD have had the upper hand both home and away for the last few seasons, the last Waterford win coming at the tail end of the 2005 campaign. But that has changed this year, as United battled to a 0-0 draw at the Bowl in May during the first series of league matches, and then outplayed the College side in the EA Sports Cup semi-final at the start of this month, running out 3-1 winners, also at Belfield.
The Blues are unbeaten in eight games now since the Ipswich friendly (11 games in competitive football), and that goal conceded against the Students, a late penalty in the Cup semi, is the only one they've let in in the last six. On top of this, only Sporting Fingal have scored more goals than Waterford in either division, and in Graham Cummins they have a striker in top form, as he notched his 23rd goal in all competitions in the replayed Cup match on Tuesday.
Manager Stephen Henderson will be without midfielder Paul McCarthy, who will be recovering from surgery on a long-running groin injury, and David Grincell, who suffered a broken wrist in the first Crumlin match, and will likely also miss the rest of the season. Seamus Long will also sit out the UCD match with a one game suspension having reached four yellow cards.
UCD manager Martin Russell watched his side go out of the FAI Ford Cup last weekend, losing 3-1 to Shamrock Rovers. Despite the loss, Russell saw a lot of positives in his side’s performance.
"It was a great learning experience for our players. For a large number of our players, and I include Evan McMillan in that, it's their first season playing regularly in senior football. For them to play against the Rovers team that's full of established players with experience in the professional game, we did well at times but we also know that to get to that level, there's more required."
Ahead of the Waterford game, Russell expects nothing but a tough challenge.
"We have to go down to Waterford and try to come back with a positive result and we'll only get that if we play well."
In team news for the Students, Robbie Creevy and Sean Harding are still out injured. Brian Shortall and John Reilly are also doubtful for the game.
Extratime.ie Prediction: Waterford to continue their pursuit of Shelbourne. 3-1.
Following their FAI Ford Cup exploits of the past week, when it took two games to overcome a dogged Crumlin United side, the Blues face into a tough series of matches - over the next three league games they will play the third, fourth and fifth placed teams in the division, albeit with the first two at the RSC.
It has been over ten years since the Students were last beaten on Suirside. In fact UCD have had the upper hand both home and away for the last few seasons, the last Waterford win coming at the tail end of the 2005 campaign. But that has changed this year, as United battled to a 0-0 draw at the Bowl in May during the first series of league matches, and then outplayed the College side in the EA Sports Cup semi-final at the start of this month, running out 3-1 winners, also at Belfield.
The Blues are unbeaten in eight games now since the Ipswich friendly (11 games in competitive football), and that goal conceded against the Students, a late penalty in the Cup semi, is the only one they've let in in the last six. On top of this, only Sporting Fingal have scored more goals than Waterford in either division, and in Graham Cummins they have a striker in top form, as he notched his 23rd goal in all competitions in the replayed Cup match on Tuesday.
Manager Stephen Henderson will be without midfielder Paul McCarthy, who will be recovering from surgery on a long-running groin injury, and David Grincell, who suffered a broken wrist in the first Crumlin match, and will likely also miss the rest of the season. Seamus Long will also sit out the UCD match with a one game suspension having reached four yellow cards.
UCD manager Martin Russell watched his side go out of the FAI Ford Cup last weekend, losing 3-1 to Shamrock Rovers. Despite the loss, Russell saw a lot of positives in his side’s performance.
"It was a great learning experience for our players. For a large number of our players, and I include Evan McMillan in that, it's their first season playing regularly in senior football. For them to play against the Rovers team that's full of established players with experience in the professional game, we did well at times but we also know that to get to that level, there's more required."
Ahead of the Waterford game, Russell expects nothing but a tough challenge.
"We have to go down to Waterford and try to come back with a positive result and we'll only get that if we play well."
In team news for the Students, Robbie Creevy and Sean Harding are still out injured. Brian Shortall and John Reilly are also doubtful for the game.
Extratime.ie Prediction: Waterford to continue their pursuit of Shelbourne. 3-1.
About Gareth Penrose
Gareth Penrose founded extratime.com in 2008 and has worked as a reporter / editor / developer on the site since.
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