League Preview: Bray Wanderers -v- Sligo Rovers

• Ferdia Fallon Verbruggen
• Fri, Aug 15 2014




Bray Wanderers are at home to Sligo Rovers this Friday, as both teams hope to gain points for very different reasons. Kick-off for the match is 7.45pm.

 

BRAY WANDERERS

Bray are in desperate need of points as they try to stave off relegation once again. The Seagulls currently lie in the relegation play-off spot but are only six points above Athlone Town and have a worse goal difference. This -30 goal difference has been added to in recent games with Bray conceding twenty nine goals in their last eight games. In those same games, Bray have only picked up one point and last week they lost 4-1 to Limerick.

 

If Bray had won the game, they could have opened a larger breathing space between themselves and twelfth place whilst also including more sides in the fight to stay in the Premier Division. However, a Rory Gaffney hat-trick and Lee Lynch goal later, and Bray are right in the thick of it. Wanderers are level on points with UCD but the next nearest rival is Drogheda United, who are seven points above them, surely un-catchable with Bray’s form.

 

Alan Matthews spoke to braywanderers.ie, and admitted that this game won’t be easy. The Bray boss said

"We know we will be up against a very good Sligo side who come into the game following a good win last week." However, Matthews is still backing his own side as he said he was “confident we will get a good result on Friday night".

 

Bray look to be up against and their fight will be even harder without key players who head up a long injury list. Defender David Webster will miss another game due to a foot injury while there are doubts over Eric McGill, Shane O’Neill, Adam Hanlon and Jake Kelly. Dave Scully is suspended after being sent off against Limerick and will miss the massive game.

 

SLIGO ROVERS

Sligo go into this match in the hope of securing points for a very different agenda. Sligo are fifth in the table, at this moment in time, and are eleven points behind fourth place Shamrock Rovers, who occupy the last European spot. Sligo hold a game in hand over their rivals and hope to go on a run of form which will justify John Coleman’s mid-season appointment. This form was continued when Sligo beat Bray’s rivals Athlone Town last week.

 

Evan McMillan was Sligo’s unlikely hero, as he scored twice and set up the other to earn the Bit o’Red a valuable three points. This makes it two wins in three and McMillan spoke to Ocean FM’s Rover Review Show to tell supporters that the team “can't give up hope of catching Shamrock Rovers or St Patrick's Athletic” as a good long run of form would, as he said, “leave us closer to the teams above us you'd hope.”

 

The defender was wary of the away team, saying “We don't want to lose twice in the season against Bray”, but he was still confident of over overcoming them, adding that, “Bray have been struggling in the last few weeks and hopefully we can take advantage.” Sligo lost the earlier meeting between the sides at the Carlisle Grounds, going down 1-0 to a Ciarán Byrne goal.

 

The major team news for Sligo is that Eric Odhiambo has left the club by mutual consent after only six months. Another striker who will miss the game is Danny North, who sits out again because of his additional red card suspension. Raffaele Cretaro, Iarfhlaith Davoren and Jeff Henderson all look set to miss out on the match through injury.

 

Referee: Jim McKell

 

 

MATCH FACTS

As said above, Bray beat Sligo 1-0 the last time Rovers visited the Carlisle Grounds. However, Sligo won the encounter between the sides in May, with Odhiambo scoring once as they recorded a 3-0 win. Sligo also held the upper hand last season, winning two and drawing one against the Seagulls.

 

Their last five matches between each other have also ended with at least one team not scoring, as they have finished 3-0, 1-0, 2-0, 0-0 and 3-0 again.

 

Bray’s eighteen goals this season is the lowest amount of goals scored by any team in the league. On the other hand, Sligo have only conceded nineteen goals and have the joint-second best defence in the league.

 

 

BETTING

Bray 7/1; Draw 16/5; Sligo 2/5.

 

PREDICTION

Bray 1-3 Sligo Rovers

 

 

Bray Wanderers

Injured: David Webster

Doubtful: Eric McGill, Adam Hanlon, Jake Kelly, Shane O’Neill

Suspended: Dave Scully

 

Bohemians

Injured: Iarfhlaith Davoren, Raffele Cretaro, Jeff Henderson.

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Danny North