SD Galway -v- Athlone Town

SD GALWAY

SD Galway enter the weekend on the back of a morale boosting win over city rivals Mervue United, only their second of the league campaign so far. Two wins in eight games, with a 2-2 draw with Wexford thrown in for good measure, doesn’t sound like the kind of form to get excited about, but it must be seen in contrast to the 13 previous games during which just three draws were achieved.

Lying on the bottom of the table, four points behind Mervue, catching their local rivals remains the only realistic ambition for Tony Mannion’s side, as 12 points is the gap to third bottom placed Wexford Youths.

Mannion has an almost full squad to choose from and he will only be missing the suspended Nicky Curran. Colm Horgan is likely to step in as he returns to action and Slovakian midfielder Jakub Tomanica, a former Banik Ostrava player, will again be central to Mannion’s plans.

SD are also likely to continue to deploy Brian Geraghty in a forward role after the former centre back bagged the winner against Mervue last Friday night.

ATHLONE TOWN

As we enter the fourth and final series of First Division games, Athlone Town will be looking to regain the form that saw them win seven of their 14 matches in the opening two series. But Mike Kerley’s men have had a rocky third quarter to their campaign, winning just once, and gathering just six league points.

Of course it should be noted that Athlone played only six games rather than the scheduled seven, when their encounter with Wexford Youths a fortnight ago was washed out in a  summer deluge. But the midlanders have failed to score in four of those six games and haven’t found the net since Noel McGee earned a 1-1 draw against Finn Harps back in mid July.

Athlone did manage valuable draws away to title chasers Longford and Waterford, and a narrow 1-0 defeat to table toppers Limerick is hardly a disgrace. But Kerley will know that momentum is key at the tail end of the season, and there is much hard work ahead if Athlone are to keep their slim hopes of a play-off spot alive.

Kerley has several injuries to contend with ahead of Friday night’s game, a situation he will be used to having had an over-subscribed treatment room for most of the season. Noel McGee, Stephen Last and Brian Gill are all rated very doubtful, while Stephen Relihan, Scott Gaynor and Garvan Broughall will not make it back in time for this weekend either. Defender Paul Danaher is a long term absentee and is unlikely to return until next season.

On the up side, Niall Scullion returns from suspension and Neil Harney has recovered from the knee problem that kept him out of last weekend’s draw down in Waterford.

Referee: Robert Harvey.

MATCH STATS

Athlone have kept six clean sheets in the league this season, with half of them coming in their last six games.

SD Galway have lost all three of their previous encounters with Athlone Town this season, on an aggregate scoreline of 1-5. In fact, SD have yet to win against Athlone since entering the league, losing six and drawing three of their nine league games to date.

With only 10 league points to their name in 2012, SD Galway’s local rivals Mervue United will be unhappy in the knowledge that they have contributed seven of them, losing twice and drawing once in their three league derbies thus far.

BETTING

SD Galway 11/4; Draw 12/5; Athlone 5/6.

PREDICTION

Both sides are shy in front of goal; 0-0.

SD Injury News: None.

SD Suspension News: Nicky Curran.

Athlone Injury News: Stephen Relihan, Garvan Broughall, Scott Gaynor, Paul Danaher (Out). Noel McGee, Stephen Last, Brian Gill (Doubts)

Athlone Suspension News: None.