League Preview: Bray Wanderers -v- Drogheda United

BRAY WANDERERS

Bray Wanderers will look to bring to an end a seven game winless run when they face Drogheda United for the fourth time this season (kick-off 7.45pm).

The Seagulls' last victory came away to Galway in June. Since then, Bray have drawn two and lost five games: twice against Cork and once against Dundalk, St. Patrick’s Athletic and Finn Harps.

Unlike Drogheda, who were drawn away to non-league Evergreen in the FAI Cup, Bray faced league leaders Cork.

The Seagulls lost that tie 1-0 and then played out a scoreless draw against Sligo on Tuesday, in a game brought forward from September due to both teams participating in the IRN BRU Scottish Challenge Cup.

Keith Buckley, Anto Flood and Derek Foran all missed the draw against Sligo due to injury but it is unclear whether they will be available for this game with no team news released at the time of writing.

DROGHEDA UNITED

A break from league action was welcomed by Drogheda last week as they brought to an end a 15-game winless run with a 4-0 victory over Evergreen in the FAI Cup.

Chris Mulhall (2), Ryan Masterson and Mark Doyle all scored their first competitive goals for the club in the victory which manager Pete Mahon described as a confidence booster.

“It’s a nice confidence booster for the players. We were determined to keep a clean sheet and to then have three of our strikers score bodes well,” Mahon told the club's website.

Drogheda remain rooted to the bottom of the table, nine points adrift of safety with just eight games left this season.

While they have produced better performances in their last two league games, both have ended in narrow defeats and Mahon knows that they need to start picking up points, beginning against Bray on Friday.

“We’re running out of games. We need to get a couple of wins to drag ourselves back into contention and realistically that has to start Friday night," Mahon said.

In team news, Thomas Byrne returns from suspension but Kevin Farragher, Sean Brennan, Gavin Brennan and Stephen Elliott are again out through injury.

Jamie Hollywood and Eoghan Dempsey are also unavailable as they compete with Ireland at the University Games in Taipei.

Referee: Ben Connolly.

MATCH STATS

In the three games (two league, one EA Sports Cup) between these sides so far this season, Bray have won two. The other game, the second league meeting between the sides, ending in a scoreless draw at United Park.

Drogheda have conceded the most goals (49) of any team in the Premier Division this season.

Despite being seven places and seventeen points above the Boynesiders in the league, Bray have the joint second worst defensive record (along with Finn Harps) in the league and have conceded 45 goals.

BETTING

Bray Wanderers 8/13; Draw 16/5; Drogheda United 4/1.

PREDICTION

Bray Wanderers 1-1 Drogheda United

Bray Wanderers

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Keith Buckley, Anto Flood, Derek Foran.

Suspended: None.

Drogheda United

Injured: Kevin Farragher, Sean Brennan, Gavin Brennan, Stephen Elliott.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Unavailable: Jamie Hollywood, Eoghan Dempsey.