League Preview: St Patrick's Athletic -v- Drogheda United

ST PATRICKS ATHLETIC

St Patricks Athletic should be brimming with confidence after their superb efforts in the Europa Conference League when they host  Drogheda United on Sunday evening (kick-off is at 6pm). 

Although finally beaten 2-0 away to Basaksehir Istanbul on Wednesday night in the Europa Conference League, they will take a lot of confidence from their ability to go toe to toe with one of the mid-ranking European sides before finally bowing out of the competition.

On the domestic scene, they are unbeaten in their last seven games, where they had four wins and three draws, including those European fixtures, with their last defeat being the 3-0 FAI Cup loss away to Derry City in mid-July.

They have certainly turned a corner since that game, but will still however need to continue to pick up league points so they do not become part of the relegation conversation as we head into the final two months of the season.

After the long trip back from Istanbul, manager Stephen Kenny spoke to the St Pats media team and he said: "All of the teams in the league have something to play for and to fight for between now and the end of the season, so every game will be difficult, including on Sunday against Drogheda Utd.

"It’s good to be back home in front of our own fans, especially not having been at Richmond for a few weeks. We know our supporters will get behind the team as they always do."

DROGHEDA UNITED

Drogheda have a very similar record to their opponents on Friday night, as they have only one loss in their last seven games, recording four wins, two draws with just one loss to Dundalk in early July.

They come to Inchicore on the back of two remarkable high scoring games, scoring 16 goals and conceding none in their last two outings.

They were the highest scoring team in the third round of the FAI Cup where they despatched non-league Wilton Utd by 9-0, and followed that up with a 7-0 mauling of Sligo Rovers in the league last weekend.

While the cup win was expected, nobody foresaw the result against Sligo Rovers, a team which is still 15 points ahead of them in the league table in fourth place and which had been on a good run prior to their FAI Cup elimination at the hands of UCD.

Manager Kevin Doherty spoke to the Drogheda Independent this week and said: "It was a really, really good win against Sligo and I don’t want to play it down. The performance was magnificent and there’s no point pretending it wasn’t. It shows what we are capable of.

"I know it’s boring, but we have to move on and go and back it up again with another good performance, and we need to look at getting more points away from home."

Referee: Dermot Broughton.

MATCH STATS

There was only a single goal scored between these two sides when they met on three occasions this season, so we can expect another low scoring affair when they clash for the final time on Friday night.

The two games at Weavers Park in Drogheda both ended in 0-0 draws while the fixture in Richmond Park ended in a 1-0 win for the home side.

The since departed Ruari Keating scored the only goal in that game in early May.

PREDICTION

St Patrick's Athletic 1-0 Drogheda United

St Patrick's Athletic 

Injured: Romal Palmer

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None.

Drogheda United

Injured: Zishim Bawa

Doubtful: Shane Farrell

Suspended: None