UCD -v- Kildare County
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UCD will be hoping to stay top of the League of Ireland First Division when they face Kildare County at the Belfield Bowl. County have only three victories all season and they have all been away from home.
Similarly, UCD best performances have come when they have been on their travels, but still, UCD go into Friday night’s game as strong favourites.
Both sides enjoyed victories in their previous games, UCD emphatically winning 5-0 in Ballybofey against Finn Harps last Saturday, while County gained three points following their 2-1 away win to Longford Town last Tuesday.
It has been a case of a return to form for both sides leading front men. For Kildare, Philly Hughes has notched four goals in his past three games. On his star striker’s two goal haul midweek, Kildare manager Joey Sommerville commented, “There is nobody involved in the game here who would deny the quality of his finishing when he gets chances like that. He is just back in the League of Ireland after a spell in the Leinster Senior League when he probably didn’t work as hard as he could, he still isn’t exactly where we would like him to be but he is not far off it now.”
Likewise, UCD’s Ciarán Kilduff returned to scoring form with two goals last week and now has a tally of ten league goals for the season. The ex-Shamrock Rovers man had gone three months without scoring, but with a big Dublin derby against second placed Shelbourne approaching next week, UCD will be hoping that Kilduff has resurrected his early season form in time for their late push for promotion.
UCD need the points for their league title aspirations, by contrast, Kildare need the points to avoid the drop from the First Division as they lie seven points adrift of Mervue United. On the clash with the Students, Sommerville said, “I would defy anybody to mention a team who has battered us since I’ve been here. We’ve pushed all the top teams very close and it was only an 84th goal that was the difference when we played UCD at Station Road back in July so we’ve nothing to fear.”
The Kildare County boss begins a two game touchline ban at the Bowl. Sommerville explained the impact this would have on his squad, “We’ll have a meeting beforehand and all the players will know what I expect of them but once they go into the dressing rooms to get changed, I can’t have any contact with them but they are in good hands with Keith O’Halloran and Jimmy Kelly.”
Team News
Greg Bolger will be available for UCD having served an extra one match suspension for a sending off in Waterford last month. UCD manager Martin Russell will therefore have to choose between Bolger and first year scholar Paul Corry to partner captain Ronan Finn in midfield. The College have also been boosted by the return of Gareth Matthews who completed 90 minutes midweek for the UCD U20’s. Robbie Creevy also returned to action in the same game, but the Kildare game is likely to come too early for him to return to the first team. Graham Rusk is fit for selection having missed last week’s action.
By contrast, Joey Sommerville could field the same side that won in Flancare Park last Tuesday. However, Dean Lawrence is available for selection having missed the midweek win with a knee injury. Davy Byrne will be absent with a hamstring problem.
Extratime.ie Prediction: Both sides need the points badly for different reasons, but if Philly Hughes is kept quiet, Martin Russell’s side should have too much quality for County. 2-0 home win.
Both sides enjoyed victories in their previous games, UCD emphatically winning 5-0 in Ballybofey against Finn Harps last Saturday, while County gained three points following their 2-1 away win to Longford Town last Tuesday.
It has been a case of a return to form for both sides leading front men. For Kildare, Philly Hughes has notched four goals in his past three games. On his star striker’s two goal haul midweek, Kildare manager Joey Sommerville commented, “There is nobody involved in the game here who would deny the quality of his finishing when he gets chances like that. He is just back in the League of Ireland after a spell in the Leinster Senior League when he probably didn’t work as hard as he could, he still isn’t exactly where we would like him to be but he is not far off it now.”
Likewise, UCD’s Ciarán Kilduff returned to scoring form with two goals last week and now has a tally of ten league goals for the season. The ex-Shamrock Rovers man had gone three months without scoring, but with a big Dublin derby against second placed Shelbourne approaching next week, UCD will be hoping that Kilduff has resurrected his early season form in time for their late push for promotion.
UCD need the points for their league title aspirations, by contrast, Kildare need the points to avoid the drop from the First Division as they lie seven points adrift of Mervue United. On the clash with the Students, Sommerville said, “I would defy anybody to mention a team who has battered us since I’ve been here. We’ve pushed all the top teams very close and it was only an 84th goal that was the difference when we played UCD at Station Road back in July so we’ve nothing to fear.”
The Kildare County boss begins a two game touchline ban at the Bowl. Sommerville explained the impact this would have on his squad, “We’ll have a meeting beforehand and all the players will know what I expect of them but once they go into the dressing rooms to get changed, I can’t have any contact with them but they are in good hands with Keith O’Halloran and Jimmy Kelly.”
Team News
Greg Bolger will be available for UCD having served an extra one match suspension for a sending off in Waterford last month. UCD manager Martin Russell will therefore have to choose between Bolger and first year scholar Paul Corry to partner captain Ronan Finn in midfield. The College have also been boosted by the return of Gareth Matthews who completed 90 minutes midweek for the UCD U20’s. Robbie Creevy also returned to action in the same game, but the Kildare game is likely to come too early for him to return to the first team. Graham Rusk is fit for selection having missed last week’s action.
By contrast, Joey Sommerville could field the same side that won in Flancare Park last Tuesday. However, Dean Lawrence is available for selection having missed the midweek win with a knee injury. Davy Byrne will be absent with a hamstring problem.
Extratime.ie Prediction: Both sides need the points badly for different reasons, but if Philly Hughes is kept quiet, Martin Russell’s side should have too much quality for County. 2-0 home win.
