19.45 16 Aug 2013 - Richmond Park
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
St Patrick's Ath -v- Shelbourne
- Macdara Ferris
- Thu, Aug 15 2013
SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC
Buoyed by their demolition Dublin derby 4-0 win over Shamrock Rovers last week, league leader’s St. Patrick’s Athletic welcome Shelbourne to Richmond Park on Friday night (kick off 7.45pm).
The Saints go into the game in a strong position, a point clear of Dundalk with a game in hand, against 10th placed Shelbourne. Former Pat’s boss Johnny McDonnell, who captained the Saints to a league title in 1996/97, is now the boss at Shels and he will be looking to avoid the Reds losing all three league games against St. Pat’s this season. The sides will also face each other next Monday in the Leinster Senior Cup, a game that will take place in Tolka Park.
Ahead of Friday’s game in Inchicore, Saints Manager Liam Buckley spoke to stpatsfc.com about the game. “We’ve just had one huge Dublin derby last week which we did very well in, and now we’ve got another big one this Friday in Richmond,” said Buckley. “Every game is important from here till the end of the season, so we’ll get no easy games.”
“Johnny has done well with Shelbourne since he has come in and results have definitely improved. They’ve been playing well of late so our lads know they’ll have to be fully concentrated and focused and put in a performance to get the three points.”
Stephen Maher, who is back at St. Pat’s for his second spell at the club, is looking forward to Friday’s game and is pleased with his own form. “It’s another massive game. I’ve seen Shelbourne a couple of times lately and John McDonnell has them playing quite well,”
Maher told stpatsfc.com. “They’ll be a tough challenge, but we’ve to concentrate on putting things right ourselves. If we do the right things, we know we can get the three points,”
“I’ve been playing a lot more lately and it’s been great to be part of a winning team. The competition for places is huge here. Playing with other really top players, I feel it has really improved my game. I’ll be hoping to get into the team tomorrow, but the main thing is we get the result and keep pushing on.”
SHELBOURNE
Shelbourne will be looking to bounce back after last week’s 2-1 defeat to Dundalk when they travel to Inchicore on Friday.
They have suffered two heavy league defeats to the Saints already this season, 4-0 in Richmond Park and 3-0 at home, but they are a different side since Johnny McDonnell came on board as the Shels boss. Last week’s loss to second place Dundalk was their first defeat in their last six league games and Shels are unbeaten in their last four league away games.
With four points separating the bottom four sides in the league, Shels are looking to take any and all points available to them but would likely settle for one point against the league leaders who have lost only one league game in the last 17 played. Shels have lost the last four league games against Pat’s and their last win over the Inchicore club was back in October 2011 in an FAI Ford Cup Semi-Final.
Shels are the lowest scorers away from home of any team in the league but will be hoping that Dean Kelly can continue his recent form of scoring in this match. The former St. Pat’s player has scored six goals for Shelbourne in their last 10 competitive games.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
MATCH STATS
Pat’s inflicted Shamrock Rovers’ heaviest home league defeat in 25 years last week. Back in October 1988, the Saints hit the Hoops for four in a Rovers home game played in Dalymount Park.
Conan Byrne, who scored all four goals for Pat’s in Tallaght last week, is the first Saints player to score four times in one league game since Derek Carthy in a 5-1 win over Finn Harps at Richmond Park on 17 February 1985. The club record is held by Shay Gibbons with five goals in a 6-2 home win over Cork Celtic in February 1953.
Following last Friday’s feast of goals, Conan Byrne has become the Saints’ top league goalscorer with nine goals jumping over Christy Fagan and Killian Brennan who have seven goals to their name. Dean Kelly is Shels’ top goalscorer with five league goals.
BETTING
St. Pat’s 3/10; Draw 7/2; Shels 11/1.
PREDICTION
St Pats 2-0 Shels.
St. Patrick’s Athletic
Injured: Shane McFaul.
Suspended: John Russell.
Shelbourne
Injured: Paul Crowley, Robert Bayly, Mark Leech and Jack Memery.
Suspended: Pat Flynn.
About Macdara Ferris
Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl …