EA Sports Cup Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- St Patrick's Athletic

• Dave Donnelly
• Mon, Aug 03 2015




SHAMROCK ROVERS

Shamrock Rovers welcome St Patrick's Athletic to Tallaght Stadium (k.o. 4pm) for the first of two meetings between the sides this week, with a crucial league encounter to follow on Friday.

 

Rovers have won both their fixtures since exiting Europe, having followed up last Sunday's 4-1 win over Limerick with a 1-0 defeat of Drogheda at United Park, and now boast a record of five wins from six in the league, the outlier being a Dublin Derby loss to Bohemians in July.

 

“We want to be in the final, it's as simple as that,” said Rovers manager Pat Fenlon. “We were in it last year and lost and we want to rectify that.

 

“The players are all looking forward to this game and we know with home advantage and great backing from the fans we have a great chance".

 

“It gives us the opportunity to put in a few players that have not featured too much in the league to make a claim for a regular start."

 

Both managers will rest key players ahead of Friday's fixture, and Fenlon is likely to draw on two-time player of the year Barry Murphy along with promising young players Cian and Dylan Kavanagh.

 

 

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

Friday's win over Galway United at Richmond Park made it seven consecutive league wins for Liam Buckley's side – equaling the club record – and the Saints will be brimming with confidence ahead of their Tallaght double-header.

 

"I was really pleased with the result on Friday against Galway," said Buckley. "We didn't play particularly well in parts, but we got the result and that was the aim.

"Monday's game will be a really good game for neutrals as both teams will look to get the ball down and play attacking football. There should be a good atmosphere as our supporters will travel in good numbers, and with a place in a cup final up for grabs, both teams will be going all out to win it."

 

Buckley has relied extensively on youth this season, and is likely to call on a number of the club's under-19 league winning team, though Greg Bolger returns from suspension and centre-halves Jason McGuinness and Seán Hoare could be back in contention after recovering from head and hamstring injuries respectively.

 

Christy Fagan continues to miss out with a knee injury, while Shane McEleney is cup-tied having faced Shamrock Rovers with Derry City earlier in the season.

 

Referee: Paul Tuite.

 

 

MATCH STATS

These sides are making a habit of meeting this season, having already met in the FAI Cup (a 2-1 victory for Pats at Richmond Park) and twice in the league, including an opening day win for Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght.

 

Rovers are bidding to become the second side to reach four consecutive League Cup finals, after Derry City, and haven't lost a home fixture in the cup since 2003, when they coincidentally lost a semi-final to Pats.

 

The sides' last meeting in the competition came in 2013, when Shamrock Rovers advanced from their quarter final meeting thanks to Billy Dennehy's extra-time winner.

 

 

BETTING

Shamrock Rovers 6/4; Draw 9/4; St Patrick's Athletic 7/4.

 

PREDICTION

Shamrock Rovers 2 – 1 St Patrick's Athletic.

 

 

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Damien Duff (ankle), Keith Fahey (knee), Stephen McPhail (knee), Sean O'Connor (ankle).

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

 

St Patrick's Athletic

Injured: Christy Fagan (knee).

Doubtful: Seán Hoare (hamstring).

Suspended: None.