St Patrick's Ath -v- Shamrock Rovers

• Simon O'Gorman
• Fri, Sep 13 2013




ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

Having gone 52 years without winning the FAI Cup it is now inevitable that every time the Inchicore side make any kind of progress in the competition this fact will be produced. But more significant than the shadow of ‘the curse’ is the fact that the Saints went mightily close to lifting the trophy last season and have, arguably, a better squad this time around.

 

Liam Buckley’s men lacked ruthlessness in 2012, failing too often to put away opponents that they otherwise dominated. In 2013 they appear to have largely eradicated this problem and the result has been a focused march on the league title that may yet prove successful.

 

The team’s current form makes happy reading for Pats fans with their men on a nine match unbeaten run in all competitions. Though they may not be so happy to recall that their last defeat was to Shamrock Rovers in the EA Sports Cup back in late July.

 

Pats' biggest strength this year has been their consistent refusal to give away goals. They have kept clean sheets in both previous rounds of the Cup and, simce losing 3-0 to Shamrock Rovers in the opening weeks of the season, they have conceded in just eight of their subsequent twenty-five league games.

 

Liam Buckley has just one injury to plan around in the build-up to this game with midfielder Stephen Maher having suffered a broken leg in the game against Derry City at the Brandywell last week. Otherwise he has a fully fit squad ahead of a game that he acknowledges will mean a lot to players and supporters alike.

 

Speaking to the club website Buckley said, “Having got there last season, it would be great if we can get there again, and obviously brilliant if we could go one better. That being said, we’ve got this huge game on Friday and we’ve got to get through it first. It’s a game that all the fans get really excited for so the players are all really focused on the game and the job they have to do.”

 

SHAMROCK ROVERS

Shamrock Rovers began this season with high expectations having poached manager Trevor Croly from his position as assistant manager at St Pats and then put together an impressive collection of players. But things haven’t worked out as planned in the league with a certain amount of pressure gathering over the new boss as Rovers face into the title run in fifth place and threatening to miss out on a European spot for 2014.

 

But Cup competition has thrown up an entirely different story for the Hoops with one trophy already secured courtesy of a 7-1 win over Drogheda United in the Setanta Cup final back in May. Croly has also led his men to the finals of the Leinster Senior Cup (in which they will meet St Pats) and the EA Sports Cup, when they will again face Drogheda United.

 

Wins over Salthill Devon and Sheriff YC have taken the Hoops to this quarter-final and the Rovers faithful will hope their team can put up a better display than the one that saw them lose 4-0 the last time they faced St Pats.

 

Croly will be without the suspended duo of Derek Foran and Mark Quigley for this encounter and striker Karl Sheppard will undergo a fitness test before the game. Fellow striker Eamon Zayed is also a doubt having been away on international duty with Libya during the week.

 

Referee: Alan Kelly.

 

 

MATCH STATS

Winger Conan Byrne has scored all five of the goals that Pats have scored against Rovers this year - with 4 in the one league game last month and another in the 2-1 EA Cup defeat.

 

The aggregate score in the matches between the sides this season is 5-5.

 

These teams last met in the FAI Cup in the semi-finals of 2010. Rovers won through to the final 2-1 in a replay after a 2-2 draw in the original game.

 

 

BETTING

St Pats 11/10, Draw 11/5, Shamrock Rvrs 12/5.

 

PREDICTION

Form favours Pats - a  2-1  home win.

 

 

St Patrick’s Ath

Injured: Stephen Maher.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

 

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: None.
Doubtful: Karl Sheppard, Eamon Zayed.
Suspended: Derek Foran, Mark Quigley.