St Patrick's Athletic -v- UCD

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Apr 14 2011


St Patrick’s Athletic and UCD meet at Richmond Park on Friday night for an Airtricity League Premier Division encounter that features two teams who are struggling to find form in the early stages of the 2011 season. (Kick off, 7.45pm)

In the twelve league games played by these sides so far they have managed just three wins between them and, while St Pats have two to UCD’s one, both managers will feel that this game offers an opportunity to get some much needed points on the board.

Pete Mahon will know that his side must show more consistency if they are to come anywhere close to matching last season’s achievements but so far his squad have been as unpredictable as the spring weather, particularly at home.

Leading 2-0 at Richmond Park against Bray Wanderers they contrived to lose 3-2. Two weeks later at the same venue they were losing 2-0 to Dundalk before clawing their way back to win 3-2. And if these results hinted at a penchant for excitement they then turned even that expectation on it’s head with a thoroughly dull 0-0 draw against Bohemians.

That represented one of only two clean sheets for the Inchicore side this season so they will probably be relieved to be facing Martin Russell’s UCD this weekend. The students have had an even worse start to 2011, winning their opener away to Drogheda but losing four of their five league games since. More worryingly, they have scored only two goals in their six league outings to date, and conceded eight.

Even without injured defenders Conor Kenna and Brian Shortall Mahon will insist that his side prolong their visitors’ goal-scoring drought while Russell will be equally insistent that his goal shy strike force take advantage of a defence that has let in even more goals than they have.

All things considered this is a game that only the bravest of gamblers would stake money on. And while both managers will be keen to get a result they will also both be looking for the kinds of performances that might indicate the coming on of a certain amount of stability.

St Patrick’s Athletic
Injured: Conor Kenna (knee), Brian Shortall (ankle).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

UCD
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Paddy Power Odds: St Pats 1/2 - Draw 27/10 - UCD 6/1.

Extratime prediction: A 1-0 win for St Pats.