League Preview: Wexford Youths -v- Cabinteely

• Dave Donnelly
• Fri, Aug 14 2015




WEXFORD YOUTHS

It's top against not-quite-bottom as Wexford Youths welcome Cabinteely to Ferrycarrig Park for the first in the final series of First Division games (kick-off 8pm).

 

Wexford leapfrogged Finn Harps to the top of the table with victory in Ballybofey last week, their first win in three league games, and will look for a repeat of the performance that saw them win 7-0 the last time Cabo visited the south-east.

 

“Last weekend was a great performance and brilliant result,” said Youths manager Shane Keegan. “But it was worth no more than the 3 points that any other win would be. It's important that we remember that. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic, the best I've experienced in my time with the club.”

 

“On the pitch, Cabinteely have faired far better than many thought they would. They seemed to be written off as the league's whipping boys before a ball was kicked. This was never going to be the case and we were the first to find this out!

 

“Eddie and Dave have done a great job and given some of the very shrewd signings that they have made in the last couple of weeks I expect them to pull off some big results between now and the end of the season. We'll have to be at our very best tonight if we want to come away with the points.”

 

Youths will be without Stephen Last and Dean Broaders, who are set the miss the rest of the season with knee ligament and achilles damage respectively, while Lee Grace is also absent after picking up a minor knee injury against Harps. However, Aidan Keenan could return from injury.

 

CABINTEELY

Cabinteely returned to winning ways with victory over Athlone Town on Friday, ending a winless streak stretching back to their last meeting with Alan Mathews' side in early June,

 

Cabo manager Eddie Gormley wasn't present for the win as he was on holiday – meaning the manager hasn't been in the dug-out for a Cabiinteely win in almost five months – as assistant Andy Rice again took the reins.

 

Cabinteely are again without full-back Jamie McGlynn, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a nasty dislocated shoulder and twisted ankle injury picked up against Shelbourne, while Shane O'Neill and Conor Foley remain doubts.

 

Referee: Andrew Mullally.

 

MATCH STATS

Wexford Youths and Cabinteely have met three times in their brief League of Ireland histories.

 

Cabinteely memorably won their first ever league fixture, at home, to Wexford Youths when John McKeown scored the club's first League of Ireland goal to separate the sides.

 

Wexford got some measure of revenge when Danny Furlong scored five in a 7-0 victory at Ferrycarrig, before Furlong again proved the hero, netting the injury-time winner in a pulsating 3-2 win at Stradbrook.

 

BETTING

Wexford Youths 1/5; Draw 5/1; Cabinteely 9/1.

 

PREDICTION

Wexford Youths 4-1 Cabinteely.

 

Wexford Youths

Injured: Dean Broaders (achilles), Lee Grace (knee), Stephen Last (knee).

Doubtful: Aidan Keenan.

Suspended: None.

 

Cabinteely

Injured: Jamie O'Neill (shoulder, ankle).

Doubtful: Conor Foley, Shane O'Neill.

Suspended: None.