League Preview: St. Patrick’s Athletic -v- Sligo Rovers

SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

The Athletic come into Monday’s Bank Holiday match against Sligo Rovers (kick off 3pm) on the back of consecutive 2-0 defeats to Shamrock Rovers and last Friday night against Derry City.

Prior to that they earned 13 points from the 15 available and in front of what is expected to be a sold out Richmond Park the Saints supporters are hoping to get back to winning ways against a Sligo side who defeated St. Pat’s 2-1 earlier this season.

Tim Clancy was unhappy with the decision to award Derry a penalty in Friday’s game that was scored by Ben Doherty in the 71^st minute, with Colm Whelan scoring a header of a corner eight minutes later.

“The penalty was a massive moment in the game,” said Clancy speaking to stpatsfc.com. “We don't feel it was foul and it changed the game, then we conceded from a set piece a couple of minutes later which killed the game off.

“We've recovered well over the weekend and we've got our plans in place to face Sligo which is going to be another difficult one. We lost to them earlier in the season and we want to reverse that result. We'd like to get back to winning ways in front of our fans.”

SLIGO ROVERS

The Bit O’ Red are back up in Dublin having been unlucky to lose 2-1 to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Friday night.

Stephen Bradley talking to extratime.com after the game called “Sligo the best side that we have played” this season.

Speaking to the media pitchside in Tallaght after the defeat, John Russell said his team can build on their performance in Dublin 24.

"We have to take confidence from that, I don't think any team has come up here and done what we did,” said Russell as reported in Independent.ie.

The stats back that up as the Bit O’ Red outpassed the Hoops – the first time home or away an opposition has done that this year. The visitors made 400 of their 488 passes (82% complete) to the home side’s 350 from 429 (also 82%).

“We haven't gotten a result and that's the disappointing thing. But in terms of the quality of players we have and what we're trying to do, it does give me confidence.

"Our style of play was to build up, be progressive, play forward passes and punch the ball through the lines and we did that on Friday.

Russell will most likely stick with his tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation used for 92% of time in matches this season. No other team in the league has retained the same shape on average across the season than the Bit O’ Red.

Referee: Neil Doyle.

MATCH STATS

There was one win each for the teams when they played each other at Richmond Park last season. Colm Horgan and Aidan Keena scored the goals in Sligo Rovers’ 2-1 win early in the campaign while Tunde Owolabi grabbed the only goal of the game in the game in August.

Sligo Rovers striker Max Mata is the league’s top goalscorer with eight goals (including three penalties), two clear of Saints player Chris Forrester and Shamrock Rovers’ Graham Burke. Forrester got the Athletic’s goal in the Showgrounds against the Bit O’ Red earlier in the season.

With a third of the season gone, the Saints attacks have come 36% down the right flank (compared with 30% off the left). Similarly for the Bit O’ Red it is 36% off the right and 32% off the left.

PREDICTION

2-1 home win

St. Patrick’s Athletic

Injured: Danny Rogers, Tom Grivosti, Harry Brockbank, Joe Redmond.

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None.

Sligo Rovers

Injured: Garry Buckley, Karl O’ Sullivan, Mark Byrne, Gary Boylan 

Doubtful: John Mahon, Fabrice Hartmann, Bogdan Vastsuk

Suspended: None.

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— Andrew Dempsey (@AndrewDempsey98) April 30, 2023