Wexford Youths -v- Finn Harps

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Saturday evening will see Wexford Youths entertain Finn Harps at Ferrycarrig Park in a match up between 8th and 9th in the League First Division – the home side having seen off Limerick and UCD away in the League Cup and the League respectively in their last 2 games, while Harps will be looking to build on a draw away to Athlone and a recent win against Castlebar Celtic in the Cup.

Away Form
The Youths will be looking to build on 2 great away day victories recently with a win at home to Finn Harps after some disappointing home displays of late including the 2 – 0 reversal against Limerick 2 Fridays ago. On his weekly online comment for Wexfordyouthsfc.ie, manager Mick Wallace spoke after the UCD game of how ‘the sins of the past are to be avoided. Too often we have failed to bring consistency as we lacked the metal strength to impose our game and will on the opposition, week in, week out. That has to change’, referring to the inconsistent home displays of late.

Finn Talent to Behold
As Harps lay level on points with the Slaneysiders Saturday’s match will be a 50-50 one as teams around the mid to bottom of the table will look to start moving up the table to keep in touch with the top half, and recently relegated Harps must surely be a side with such ambitions ass they struggle for form. Manager Paul Hegarty sees the Youths as having capabilities to be in the shake up of the division with the additions in close season to their squad and spoke of how ‘For us, it’s tough having to contest three successive matches in succession away from home - if you include the League Cup game in Castlebar - but we’ll get on with it and the lads would have been boosted by the way they came back last week’ on Finnharps.com midweek.

Team News
For the home side Strikers Paul Murphy, Danny Furlong and Gary Sheahan will all attended training midweek but are still a few weeks away from the first team. So Liam O’Loughlin, scorer of a fantastic winner against UCD, and Jimmy Keohane of whom Wallace said ‘a joy to behold, I’m almost afraid to speak too well of him’, will hope to keep their starring roles in the line up.

Harps Keeper Gavin Cullen is out with an injured ankle sustained early in the month while Marc Brolly’s recovery from a Ligament injury will see him just miss out on the Wexford game as he’s not yet right.

Extratime.ie Prediction: Wexford will see off the away side with composed performances by Breen at the back, Sinnott in midfield and newcomer Keohane up front.