Dundalk -v- St. Patrick's Athletic

• Emmet Maloney
• Thu, Mar 25 2010


Something has to give in this table topping clash at Oriel Park. St Patrick’s Athletic are putting their 100% league record on the line as well as their achievement of failing to concede a league goal so far. Dundalk also bring an unbeaten start to the season with two wins and a draw and one of the team copybooks will be blotted come full time.

Top Marks For Pats
Pete Mahon must be delighted with the way his team have started this season, after steadying their faltering season last year they have started spectacularly and his biggest problem is keeping both fans and players feet on the ground. History and form give St Pats the edge in this game, the midweek aberration of the Leinster Senior Cup defeat to Drogheda will be consigned to history along with the team sheet from that night. Pats have no injuries or suspensions to report and with Noel Haverty back to fitness they have a full squad to choose from. The team will revert to something like the panel that were selected for the UCD match and their understudies that played against Drogheda will step back into the shadows. Vinny Faherty has been in good scoring form so far this season and will be coming up against his old Galway United manager Ian Foster. Alex Williams will of course be back on familiar “turf” and Dundalk will have their work cut out to keep him, Faherty and Guy quiet. Pats enjoyed both their trips to Oriel last season with a win and a draw to show for their efforts.

Confident Lilywhites
Ian Foster’s Dundalk team will be brimming with confidence, unbeaten since the new manager arrived and following their excellent performance at Shamrock Rovers last weekend. They will be without Tiarnan Mulvenna and Alan Cawley who are both injured, but have no suspensions to further deplete their squad. They will possibly stick with the same starting 11 and formation that played at Tallaght following uncertain performances in the first two games of the season playing a 3-5-2 formation. Stephen McDonnell has joined the club but it is thought that he will need time to settle and will not be featuring in the first team for some time barring further injuries or suspensions. Stephen Maher will be facing his old employers and broke his senior goal scoring duck with a strike from the edge of the box last weekend.

Not Satisfied Yet
Both managers have been at pains this week to ensure that no member of their staff gets carried away with their present league positions. The season has barely started and with the way yellow cards are being dished out so far, suspensions and a team’s ability to cope with them, is going to have a significant impact on how their league season turns out. This game should be a great spectacle with so much on the line but with neither manager in a mood to play it safe.

Venue: Oriel Park

Referee: A. Buttimer

Paddypower.com Odds: Dundalk: 6/4 Draw: 11/5 St Patricks: 6/4

Dundalk
Injured: Tiarnan Mulvenna & Alan Cawley
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None

St Patricks Athletic
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None

Extratime.ie Prediction: 1-1 Pats 100% start and clean sheet record to go, but the bookies can’t separate them and neither can I.