League Preview: Limerick -v- St. Patrick's Athletic
Credit: Eoin Smith (ETPhotos)
Bottom-of-the-table St Patrick’s Athletic travel down to the Shannon on Saturday night to face sixth-placed Limerick. (Kick-off 6:30 PM)
LIMERICK
One thing you are guaranteed with the Shannonsiders is goals and entertainment in abundance. They have scored and conceded 13 goals in their last two games and have not kept a clean sheet since the 15th of April (against Drogheda at Markets Field.) They have only kept three clean sheets all season.
In their last two games as mentioned, Bray Wanderers were the visitors to Market’s Field on June 2nd, in what was arguably the best game of the season so far. Chiedozie Ogbene scored twice in the opening 19 minutes, before Bray pegged it back to 2-2 six minutes later.
Rodrigo Tosi made it 3-2 to the home side in what was a thrilling first half. The Seagulls made it 3-3 with 20 minutes left before the Blues scored two goals in the last five minutes through Bastien Hery and Dean Clarke.
A thrilling game in truth for Limerick fans and neutrals alike, but their joy was short lived after last week’s result against Cork City in the Munster Derby.
A 17th and 18th league goal of the season from Preston bound striker Sean Maguire helped keep Cork City’s 18 point lead over Dundalk intact at Turner’s Cross.
Cork took the lead through Maguire, before Rodrigo Tosi equalised from the penalty spot after Chiedozie Ogbene was upended. The home side had the lead going into the break with Stephen Dooley lashing a strike into the net on 44 minutes.
Maguire on 46 and Jimmy Keohane on 84 minutes respectively compounded a sore night for the Blue half of Munster. In truth though, with the way Cork are playing at the moment one can say that there is no great shame in losing to their fellow province foes and that not a lot of people gave them a chance prior to the game too.
“It’s a big game, especially after losing the first game after the break. We’re still disappointed with that result; we played well in patches and created a lot of chances but this week the focus needs to be on taking the chances that we make,” midfielder Paul O'Conor told LimerickFC.ie.
“That was the difference in Cork – they took all their chances. We had plenty of chances and just couldn’t put them away so I think the main thing is we make sure we create the same this week and put them away too.
“St Pat’s have had a fairly tough season. They have lost a lot of players since they won the league a few years back. They have kind of been picked apart with players. I think the big one for them was losing Jamie McGrath to Dundalk this year.
“But they’re a good team on their day. They’ve got Christy Fagan and Conan Byrne – they’ve got goals in their team. We need to be aware of that. We don’t need to look at their league position at the moment – I don’t think it matters.
“We’ve just got to make sure that we go out and be professional, and try to come away with three points. We’ve got to be ready for it. There are no walkovers in this league – anyone can beat anyone. We have to turn up, especially after the result last week.”
Limerick’s next trio of games presents them with a real opportunity to kick on – with trips to Drogheda United and Galway United to follow – and O’Conor agreed that they are all winnable. “On paper, they are,” he said.
“It’s about us being professional. We have to deal with St Pat’s first and then hopefully get points from the other games after that. If we win this weekend then it puts us in a great position to build momentum going into the following two. But it’s about this weekend first.
“We have to be confident. The game against Cork is gone – they won, they’re going to be the Champions. We forget about that quickly and we move on. We need a good performance, especially at home. We had a big crowd in Turner’s Cross and we obviously didn’t deliver, so we’d like to make sure we deliver this week.” O'Conor concluded.
So casting that Cork game aside, the real concern for Limerick is the amount of goals they have conceded in their last five games (14). In the month of May alone they have conceded 11, including three versus Finn Harps and three versus Dundalk.
Although Saturday night’s opponents are bottom of the league, Limerick will want a clean sheet that would go a long way in them beating the Saints which would keep them in contention with Bray and Derry.
ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC
St. Patrick’s Athletic travel down to Limerick in the most dismal of form, searching for only their second away win, and fourth altogether, of the season. They desperately need points on the board as quickly as possible to avoid being relegated to the second tier for the first time in their history.
The Saints’ home record is bad reading, the worst in the league with a record of two wins, one draw and a whopping six losses. This statistic was further compounded on Friday night when Bohemians came to Inchicore and left with a 3-1 win for their troubles.
Pats, just like a good few games this season, were cruising after going a goal up through substitute Alex O’Hanlon in the 41st minute and with the share of the possession to boot.
The second half was a nightmare though, as a comeback earned Bohemians sweet revenge for a 4-0 reversal at Dalymount Park back in March, as they won the Dublin derby to keep Pats deep in relegation trouble, bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table.
Strikes from Oscar Brennan five minutes after the restart, a 69th minute Dinny Corcoran counter-attack and Georgie Poynton with four minutes left did the damage for the Gypsies.
Consequently though, their form away from Richmond Park is a little better. Two wins, five draws and two defeats is the record after nine away games so far.
Respectable enough, one would think for a team propping up the table, especially as one of the two defeats came at three-in-a-row champions, Dundalk, back in March. Away draws to Sligo Rovers, Galway, Derry City, Bray Wanderers and Shamrock Rovers are not bad points, considering they went a goal down in three of those games.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s game, assistant manager Ger O’Brien spoke to stpatsfc.com about the threat Limerick pose.
“We’d a really tight game against them earlier in the season, so I’d expect nothing different again. We’ve mixed memories of Market’s Field in recent times as we’ve lost up there before, but also claimed silverware down there last year so we’ll travel there hopeful that we can come away with a result.”
For Saints’ winger Conan Byrne, the Saints’ current league position is something he feels can be turned around so long as the players stay positive and focused on the job at hand.
“The mood is still very strong in the group. We cannot let our heads drop as if we do that, we’ll struggle even more. We know our strengths, but we just have to work on our weaknesses and improve on them. The second half against Bohemians was disappointing between our general play and individual mistakes so if we can rectify those things, we can start picking up points.”
On facing Limerick, Byrne was keen to emphasise his personal goal to play a key role at the weekend citing his penalty miss against the Shannonsiders earlier in the season as something which he was keen to make up for.
“It’s going to be an interesting game as both sides are in need of the points. They’ve been entertaining games between us over recent years so I’d expect more of the same on Saturday evening," he told stpatsfc.com
“I’ve a bit more of a personal ambition to get the three points due to my penalty miss in Richmond Park which cost us a point, if not possibly three. I’ll be going there with a positive attitude like I always do in every game and hopefully we can put in a good performance and get three points.”
Fans will be hoping their semi-decent away form continues after Saturday night, but with were they are in the table it is probably labelled a ‘must-win’, like every other remaining league game this season, for Liam Buckley’s charges.
Kick-off at Market’s Field is 6:30 PM
Referee: James McKell
MATCH FACTS
Both sides have met each other 11 times in all competitions since 2009, Pats winning five to Limerick’s four.
Last time the sides met this season, Limerick condemned the Inchicore outfit to a 2-0 loss at Richmond Park.
Both sides did not meet last season as Limerick were playing in the First Division.
Limerick’s number one Brendan Clarke faces his old club, with whom he spent the years 2003-2009 and 2012-2016 with and amassed 165 appearances. Lee J Lynch also spent the 2014 season in Inchicore.
Limerick’s last five results: LWLWL
Pats last five results: LDLLD
MATCH BETTING
Limerick 11/10; Draw 5/2; St. Patrick’s Athletic 23/10
PREDICTION
Limerick 1-1 St. Patrick’s Athletic
Limerick
Injured: None
Doubtful: Freddy Hall (Shoulder), Shaun Kelly (Ankle), Tony Whitehead (Dead leg), John O'Flynn (Groin).
Suspended: None
St Patrick’s Athletic
Injured: Darren Dennehy (Ankle)
Doubtful: Kurtis Byrne
Suspended: None
