Monaghan United -v- Wexford Youths

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Apr 21 2011


Monaghan United will look to extend their unbeaten start to 2011 when they welcome Wexford Youths to Gortakeegan for Friday night’s Airtricity First Division game. (Kick off, 8pm)

Monaghan are proving to be one of 2011’s success stories with new boss Roddy Collins steering his side to four wins and three draws in their opening seven league fixtures. With Shelbourne winning in Waterford on Thursday night the Mons have been bumped down to third in the league table, but a win against Wexford would at least restore them to second place.

One factor working against such an outcome will be be the absence of star striker Declan ‘Fabio’ O’Brien. He collected two late bookings at Shelbourne last weekend and will be will be missing through suspension. However, there is better news on midfielder Sean Brennan who had to leave the pitch in the last moment through illness. Brennan has contributed four goals to the Mon’s early charge but his stomach bug has passed and he will be available.

In contrast Wexford have struggled to get out of the blocks and have won only one of their six league fixtures to date, a surprise 1-0 win away to Limerick two weekends ago. However, any momentum this may have generated was thrown away at Ferrycarrig Park last weekend when Athlone Town emerged with a 1-0 win.

So far Wexford have only kept one clean sheet, a fact that Collins free scoring Monaghan will be looking to exploit. Thirteen goals conceded by Noel O’Connor’s men points to a good night out for Monaghan who have yet to be held scoreless and have scored at least twice in all but one of their league outings.

Eleven points separate these sides in the league table and given their differing starts to the 2011 campaign it is difficult to imagine that the gap will not be fourteen come ten o’clock on Friday evening.

Monaghan United
Injured: None.
Doubtful: Alan Byrne.
Suspended: Declan O’Brien.

Wexford Youths
Injured: Anto Russell.
Doubtful: Unavailable.
Suspended: Patsy Malone.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald.

Paddy Power Odds: Monaghan 2/5; Draw 3/1; Wexford 11/2.

Extratime prediction: 2-0 to Roddy and Co.