League Preview: Waterford United -v- Athlone Town

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Mar 05 2015




 

WATERFORD UNITED

It wasn’t that long ago that Waterford were knocking on the door of promotion to the Premier Division. In 2012 the Blues were only denied by an aggregate defeat by Dundalk in the Play-off final. The two clubs could have swapped divisions but for Michael Rafter’s brace for the Lilywhites but two years is a long, long time in football and while Dundalk finished 2014 as League Champions, Waterford finished the year second bottom of the First Division with seventeen teams between them.

 

The Blues won just six of their twenty-eight league games in 2014 and just one of their last fifteen. They started the season reasonably well and kept six clean sheets in their opening eight league matches, but this defensive solidity soon deserted them and they shut out their opponents on just two more occasions over the remainder of the year.

 

Willie John Kiely led the scoring last season with four goals and he remains on the roster this term while Tommy Griffin has added former Carlisle Utd striker Greg Peel and Anthony McAlavey from Rockmount to his forward line. But perhaps the most encouraging arrival is that of former Blue Jack Doherty who had a spell under Mick McCarthy at Ipswich Town.

 

Waterford have had a mixed pre-season, losing to Premier Division teams Shamrock Rovers, Bray Wanderers and Sligo Rovers as well as going out of the Munster Senior Cup to MSL side Avondale United. But a scoreless draw with Cork City and a 2-1 win over Longford in their last friendly offered more encouragement.

 

Manager Tommy Griffin is no fool and knows well enough that the odds are against a season of unmitigated glory. “We have got to be ambitious”, he said, “but at the same time we have to be realistic. Last year we finished second from bottom. By and large we have the same squad with a couple of new players that come in but we’re still very, very young.

 

He will be without three players for the opener against Athlone. Brian Nolan is suspended while Thomas Croke and Dean Reidy are ruled out by injury.

 

ATHLONE TOWN

As with most relegated clubs, Athlone Town will be looking to bounce straight back to the top flight. But, with the man who almost rescued them, after a horrendous start last year, Keith Long, having left to take over the reins at Bohemians, the club must trust in rookie LoI boss Eddie Wallace to get them there.

 

Long took several promising players with him when he made the switch to Dalymount Park, among them Kealan Dillon, Dylan Hayes, Derek Prendergast and James O’Brien. Other key players to have departed include Sean Brennan, Alan Byrne and both of their goalkeepers, Ryan Coulter and Paul Skinner.

 

That’s a considerable amount of talent to be replacing and, whatever about ability, Wallace has not brought in a fraction of the experience that left over the winter. Experienced hands such as Brian Shortall, Aidan Collins, Eric Foley, Derek Doyle and, of course, Philip Gorman will be crucial to the Midlanders ambitions in 2015.

 

Among the players that have come in Daniel Purdy topped the scoring charts at Shamrock Rovers B last year with eight strikes, while Garbhan Coughlan (newly arrived from Limerick) netted five goals during his two loan spells with Athlone in 2013.

 

Wallace’s team have had a decent pre-season including a 4-1 win over Cork City and a scoreless draw with Shamrock Rovers. The also recorded earned a scorelass draw at Bohemians and had encouraging single goal defeats against Premier Division teams Longford, Galway and Sligo.

 

Referee: Michael O’Connor

 

 

MATCH STATS

Waterford won their last home game in the league (2-1 v Cobh Ramblers) but that ended a run of six winless games at the RSC. 

 

Athlone won just one of their 17 away league games in 2014, but that victory was their last game on the road, against St Patrick’s Athletic (2-0) last October.

 

Nine of Athlone’s twelve league goal-scorers in 2014 are no longer with the club.

 

 

BETTING

Waterford 7/4; Draw 11/5; Athlone 11/8.

 

PREDICTION

Athlone to win this one, 2-1.

 

 

Waterford United

Injured: Thomas Croke, Dean Reidy.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Brian Nolan.

 

Athlone Town

Injured: None.
Doubtful: Philip Gorman, Sam O’Connor, Brian Shortall, Robbie Gaul, Aidan Friel, Stephen Quigley.
Suspended: None.