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Shamrock Rovers -v- St. Patrick's Athletic
- Jody Moylan
- Thu, Sep 03 2009
This Dublin derby takes place at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night with Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic both chasing points for alternately different reasons.
Rover’s will be aiming to capitalize on Bohemians slip up away to Sligo on Tuesday night and the Hoops terrific form (unbeaten in the league since the start of May) suggests they could well tighten the screw on the league leaders here.
St Pats, lying 7th- four off the bottom, will be hoping to take something from the game after the worth of the three points they picked up against Drogheda on Sunday last was somewhat deflated after two of the teams around them in the bottom half of the table, the aforementioned Sligo Rovers as well as Galway Utd, both got maximum points in their mid-week ties.
Rovers also go into Friday night’s game off the back of a one-nil win after they beat Galway last week but the difference between the two teams this season has been the huge gulf in both sides’ consistency levels. St Pat’s league form has been on the wrong side of mediocre owing in no small part to their lack of an out and out striker and they will surely be hoping to extend Declan (Fabio) O’Brien’s loan spell at the club after his recent heroics in Europe, having only joined the club from Dundalk in June.
Shamrock Rovers on the other hand have no shortage of fire power with Dessie Baker and the inimitable Gary Twigg (17 goals thus far this season) leading the line in spectacular fashion. Rovers have been one of the few teams who have been able to sign quality players with the arrival of former Irish International striker Graham Barrett along with new keeper and Northern Ireland International Alan Mannus.
It all leaves Hoops boss Michael O’Neill with that most wonderful of headaches.
Team news
For Rovers there are doubts about the availability of Paddy Kavanagh (hip) and Darragh Maguire (calf), while Pat Sullivan is suspended and Alan Mannus is on international duty.
St Pats have a full squad to choose from for the first time all season. While Declan O’Brien went off on Tuesday night with a freak hand injury a subsequent x-ray revealed no damage and he is almost definitely fit to play.
Extratime.ie Prediction: In accordance with their season St Pats have a habit of putting it up to the big guns but with Rovers very much in the ascendancy expect them to shade it, just : 2-1
