League Preview: St. Patrick’s Athletic -v- Bray Wanderers

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC
Pats go in to this game on an 8 game hot streak without defeat, and by comparison to their opponents from Wicklow, Bray, are the league’s stability side.

Despite their fine form the Saints have barely made any inroads to Dundalk’s lead at the top of the table – and stay in third place - due to their stuttering start to the season. Top scorer Chris Forrester will be looking to add to his nine-goal tally as St. Pats look to march towards nine wins in a row.

Liam Buckley is pleased with his side’s form but expecting a tough test from Bray as he told stpatsfc.com "I was thrilled with last week's win as with the great support we got, it was really pleasing to see that we put in a good performance and got the three points for everyone at the club; players, staff and supporters. We're on a good run so it's all about approaching the next game and preparing for it properly.

"Bray were very good last week against Drogheda and are on a good run of form themselves so Friday will be a tough game. Mick Cooke is doing well since he's come in so we need to apply ourselves properly and look to put the same performance or better than last Friday against Rovers."

Greg Bolger (dead leg), Sean Hoare (hamstring) and Shane McEleney all make a return to the Pats squad following their respective lay-offs.

BRAY WANDERERS
Is it a bird...? Is it a plane…? No! It’s the green and white of Bray Wanderers! The Magical Mystery Tour that is Bray Wanderers AFC this season has started to look less like a circus and more like a theatre act in recent weeks.

With new ringmaster Mick Cooke at the helm for more than a month now, they touch down in Inchicore with three wins in the last four games and a much tighter defence protecting their somewhat clown-esque-leaky-umbrella-goal.

Another solid performance in their 1-0 victory over Drogheda United last weekend sees the Seagulls sitting in an unlikely sixth place in the Airtricity League table. Do Seagulls get nosebleeds at these dizzy heights?

We’ll certainly find out as it can be argued the Bray revival started at the Carlisle Grounds back in May as they recorded a shock 1-0 defeat over Pats, when Trevor Croly was cracking the whip in the Wicklow ring.

The Seagulls should be full of confidence going in to this match having only narrowly lost to champions Dundalk 0-1 in the recent run of form. Mick Cooke’s managerial experience, and the siege mentality - created by the players themselves - have no doubt contribute to Bray’s revival.

No doubt Bray will be hoping to improve on their last performance in Inchicore when they lost 3-0 but the Wanderer’s defence has tightened up since then and they will be looking to that for a platform from which to nick a goal and take the game to a rampant Saints.
 

Referee: Padraigh Sutton.

MATCH FACTS
Bray have won three of their last four under Mick Cooke’s tenure, and five of the their last six in the league. As the league’s lowest scorers with only 6 goals, the Wicklow men will be hoping some other players can start to chip in and help out Dave Cassidy who is their leading scorer from midfield on five goals.

With the third strongest attack in the division on 41 goals, Pats will be looking to punish what is, on paper, an unadventurous Bray team. Chris Forrester is the top scorer on nine showing they get plenty of goals from elsewhere on the park as well.

BETTING
St Patrick’s Athletic 1/5; Bray 14/1; Draw 5/1.

PREDICTION
St. Patrick’s Athletic 2-0 Bray Wanderers.
 

St. Patrick’s Athletic
Injured: Christy Fagan.

Doubtful: Kenny Browne (groin).

Suspended: Ian Bermingham.

Bray Wanderers
Injured: Unknown.

Doubtful: Unknown.

Suspended: None.