League Preview: Cabinteely -v- Drogheda United

• Caoimhin Reilly
• Fri, Sep 23 2016




CABINTEELY

Cabinteely’s second season as a First Division competitor has been as difficult as their league premiere. The Stradbrook men currently sit bottom of the table and are without a win in their last seven domestic outings.

 

Manager, Eddie Gormley has sauntered on admirably with his group of rookies, albeit it has proved difficult. The average age of the Cabo side is 19, with former Drogheda United player, Victor Ekanem being the most experienced member of Cabo’s squad at 26-years of age.

 

The Dubliners' quest to avoid finishing bottom of the division began last Friday night. Their stalemate with Waterford United stopped the rot of six-consecutive defeats and saw them draw level on points with Athlone Town, although they have played a game more than the midlanders.

 

Ben Hanrahan and Joe Doyle have been arguably Cabo’s best performers this term. The pair have contributed largely to the goal tally amassed by Cabinteely, with their link-play a feature of their side’s play.

 

Gormley can be encouraged ahead of Drogheda’s visit in the knowledge that his side held the Boynesiders to a scoreless draw when they last met at Stradbrook in May.

 

Hanrahan and Ekanem both picked up injuries in the Waterford RSC last week, although the pair are expected to play tonight having recovered. Shane Boyle will miss the game through suspension.

 

 

DROGHEDA UNITED

Buoyed by their comprehensive 2-0 victory over Shelbourne in the league last Friday night, Drogheda United again visit Dublin tonight seeking to confirm their place in the promotion play-off.

 

The Drogs have enjoyed a positive campaign on the back of last season’s relegation from the Premier Division. Pete Mahon, along with his assistant John Gill, have steadied the ship at the County Louth club following a very uncertain winter.

 

The Boynesiders’ early season woes were compounded by the loss of several key first-team players with Michéal Schlingermann, Jason Marks and Alan Byrne all departing United Park prior to the 2016 campaign.

 

In their place however, youngsters like Aaron Ashe, Adam Wixted and Gareth McCaffrey have come in and dove-tailed notably with the experience of Séans’ Brennan and Thornton.

The recent form of Marc Griffin has also been a positive for Mahon, with the attacker likely to be key to the Drogs’ chances of re-gaining their top-flight status.

 

Indeed, Drogheda will be confident of at least securing a two-legged tie with the Premier Division’s second from bottom club. Thus far, Drogheda are the only side to take points off Limerick this season, having been involved in two high-scoring draws with the Shannonsiders, 2-2 and 3-3 respectively. However, the Drogs are still to defeat UCD having drawn twice and lost once to the Students in league fixtures.

The Claret and Blues are undefeated since July 9^th , a run which stretches to nine matches, included in those is a 1-0 win over Cabinteely. Aaron Ashe’s 66^th minute goal proved the difference between the teams.

 

Séan Brennan returns to the Drogs squad for tonight’s match and his inclusion could well inspire his side into securing second-place.

 

Ahead of tonight’s match, Drogheda manager Pete Mahon spoke with droghedaunited.ie, saying: “I’m always confident that we can go to any side in the First Division and win as long as we play well. We haven’t played our best football against Cabinteely (this season) and our last trip there was probably our worst performance of the season.

 

“It’s another opportunity for us to put that performance behind us and we have great competition in the squad at the moment so players will be playing to stay in the team.”

 

 

Referee: David Keeler

 

 

MATCH STATS

Cabo have never beaten Drogheda United in all competitions. The pair have met on four prior occasions, three of which have come in County Louth. The record reads: Drogheda four wins; one draw.

 

Drogheda’s Aaron Ashe has scored three times against the Dubliners this season, including a brace in their 4-0 triumph in April. That defeat was Cabo’s biggest reversal of the season.

29 of Cabinteely’s 30-man squad are under 21-years-old, while the average age of the Drogheda squad is 21.

 

 

MATCH BETTING

Cabinteely 11/2; Draw 10/3; Drogheda United 4/11.

 

PREDICTION

Cabinteely 0-2 Drogheda United

 

 

Cabinteely

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Ben Hanrahan, Victor Ekanem.

Suspended: Shane Boyle.

 

Drogheda United

Injured: Lloyd Buckley.

Doubtful: Kevin Farragher.

Suspended: None.