League Preview: Athlone Town -v- Bray Wanderers

• Simon O'Gorman
• Fri, May 02 2014




ATHLONE TOWN

Keith Long will take charge of his first league game as the new manager of Athlone Town on Friday night as the Midlanders aim to get their first points of 2014 at the eleventh time of asking.

 

Ten successive league defeats have no doubt dented confidence within the Athlone dressing room but everyone at Lissywoolen will be hoping for a bounce in performance with the arrival of the former Bray Wanderers assistant.

 

Long’s knowledge of the visitors will count in Athlone’s favour and the team’s narrow defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic in Monday’s Leinster Senior Cup tie will have encouraged a side whose only positive result this year came in the same competition when they beat Wexford Youths 4-1 back in mid February.

 

Despite their unhappy league form Athlone have only failed to score in three of their ten league outings. But they have yet to keep a clean sheet in 13 competitive fixtures and they have let in three or more goals in six of their ten league matches.

 

Long will have to plan without defenders Neil Harney and Aidan Collins but on a positive note, Sean Byrne is available again after serving a suspension last weekend and missing Monday’s LSC game through illness.

 

 

BRAY WANDERERS

Alan Mathews brings his Bray Wanderers side to Athlone Town on Friday night perhaps wishing that Mick Cooke’s departure as Athlone manager had come a week later.

 

The Midlanders had lost all ten of their league games under Cooke but his replacement, Keith Long, will not only bring a fresh perspective to the home dressingroom, he also has a detailed knowledge of Bray having worked there alongside Pat Devlin.

 

Mathews has led Bray to seventh place in the Premier Division table and the seasiders lie twelve points ahead of Athlone. Furthermore, their last league encounter saw them record an impressive win over much fancied Dundalk thanks to a winner from top-scorer Dave Scully.

 

The win over Dundalk was Bray’s third league win of the season and the fifth time they had secured a clean sheet. While only one of those wins has come on the road - when they defeated Drogheda United 2-0 three weeks ago - they have also secured two valuable away draws, against Limerick and Bohemians.

 

Mathews will again be without defenders Danny and Shane O’Connor while creative midfielder Jake Kelly is also ruled out by injury, along with Shane Byrne. 

 

Referee: Kevin O’Regan

 

 

MATCH STATS

Despite the gap in their league positions, the top goal-scorers at Athlone and Bray are both on four for the season, Philip Gorman being Athlone’s marksman and Dave Scully getting the goals for Bray.

 

The teams have not met in the league since 2004 when Bray won all three of their First Division encounters, including a 5-3 win in which Eamon Zayed netted four times for the Seasiders.

 

Bray have scored just two more league goals than Athlone in 2014, having netted 11 times in their ten league fixtures against Athlone’s nine.

 

 

BETTING

Athlone 16/5; Draw 12/5; Bray 4/5.

 

PREDICTION

Bray should have enough metal in them to get all three points: A 1-0 win for the visitors.

 

 

Athlone Town

Injured: Aidan Collins (shoulder), Neil Harney (quad).

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

 

Bray Wanderers

Injured: Danny O’Connor, Jake Kelly, Shane O’Connor, Shane Byrne.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.