Dundalk -v- Sporting Fingal

• Emmet Maloney
• Thu, Oct 21 2010


Dundalk entertain Sporting Fingal at Oriel Park (kick-off 7.45pm) in their final home game of the season. It has been a season of moderate progress in Co Louth with a greater points total garnered than last year but a mid season slump took the shine off of their achievements. Their opponents will be delighted with their first season in the top flight as they struggle to the finishing post with the prospect of European qualification dangling ahead of them.

Dundalk seeing red
Dundalk have managed to pick up a red card in their last two league games and Lilywhites manager Ian Foster will be hoping that his boys stay the right side of the ref for this game. The latest red saw centre half Garry Breen get first use of the matey when he was adjudged to have led with an elbow at UCD last weekend. His place will probably be taken by Wayne Hatswell with Sean Kelly coming into left back. Exciting young winger Daniel Kearns is doubtful and his spot will probably go to Stephen Maher, meaning he will have to play through the pain barrier and try to put in a full shift for the first time since being diagnosed with the painful condition of osteitis pubis. Alternately if Kearns is passed fit Tom Miller may slot into centre half with Maher taking his berth.

Lilywhites going all out for three points
Sporting Fingal are the only team in the league that Dundalk have yet to beat this season, although they did manage a 2-0 home EA Sports cup win, and the Lilywhites boys obviously feel that they owe their Santry based opponents a beating. Stephen Maher spelled this out to the club website.

“That’s a major concern for us,” he admitted. “We really want to beat them. We’ve played them three times and I don’t know how they have won the games. That’s being honest. We really have to have the bit between our teeth on Friday and we’ve got to go and beat them. I was so disappointed with every game we’ve played against them; we have come off every time thinking ‘how have we lost?’. It was really sickening. So I think we’ll all be going out on Friday really wanting to win the game and try to get as many points as we can.”.

Liam expects another tight affair
Sporting come into the game on the back of a five match unbeaten league run including wins at Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United. They will of course be looking to extend this in their three way battle with Sligo and St Patricks for European qualification.

Ravens manager Liam Buckley spoke exclusively to extratime.ie on the eve of this vital clash. “All of the games (with Dundalk) have been tight, we’ve beaten them three times and there’s only been a goal in each time, they were all tight that’s for sure”.

Liam has obviously spent time pondering the possible outcomes of the remaining games involving themselves, Sligo and St Pats “It will be an interesting two weeks for all three clubs if we can pull a result out this weekend it keeps the pressure on the other two as well. Sligo have to play Pats in the last game also so either both of them will drop two points or one will drop three. It’s just important that we keep in the mix with two games to go.”

Liam has nearly a full squad to choose from and spelled out the slight injury worries that he has at the moment “Colly James is definitely out, Seanie Maher looks like he won’t make it this Friday but he should definitely be ok for the following week, we’ll make a call on that tomorrow. Ollie Cahill has had a bug and has been unwell earlier in the week so we’ll have to assess him tomorrow”.

Extratime.ie Prediction: Both teams will be going full tilt for a victory for different reasons and I feel that neither will be totally happy at the full time whistle with a 2-2 draw.

Venue: Oriel Park, Dundalk.
Paddypower.com odds: Dundalk 23/10, Sporting Fingal evens, Draw 23/10.
Referee: D. Tomney

Dundalk
Injured: None.
Doubtful: Daniel Kearns (shoulder), Alan Cawley (back).
Suspended: Garry Breen.

Sporting Fingal
Injured: Colm James (knee).
Doubtful: Ollie Cahill (illness bug), Sean Maher (hamstring).
Suspended: None.