League Preview: St. Patrick's Athletic -v- Bohemians

• Aaron Gallagher
• Tue, Jun 09 2015




ST. PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

St. Patrick's Athletic go into Tuesday's fixture on the back of their most impressive outing so far this season. Their 3-0 away win against Derry City coupled with their 2-1 FAI Cup win against rivals Shamrock Rovers has steadied the ship for Liam Buckley's side as where once lay anxiety and an unambitious ending to the season, now exists a heightened sense of hope and accomplishment for games to come.

 

Goals from Aaron Greene, James Chambers and a 93rd minute Chris Forrester finish dispatched Peter Hutton's Derry with relative ease, as the free-flowing and fluid passing football accustomed to Liam Buckley's side was on show once again at the Brandywell last Friday night.

 

On the 3-0 win Saints boss Liam Buckley said he hoped his side could produce a similar performance on Tuesday night.

 

"I was happy with the win last Friday against Derry so if we can go and replicate that level of performance, hopefully we can get the points on Friday” he told stpatsfc.com.

 

“Dublin derbies always carry that little bit extra in terms of atmosphere, but the team know to take it a game at a time, so if we go about things right, we'll hopefully move up the table on Tuesday.”

 

Tuesday's game represents a fitting task to determine where the Saints currently fix themselves in the grand scheme of things. The game has a raised profile as the only Premier Division league fixture for Tuesday night due to rescheduling for European fixtures, with the game pitting two equal standing sides against one another for the prize of fourth spot.

 

“Bohs will be tough opponents on Tuesday night as they'll be well organised by Keith and gave us a really difficult game the last day," manager Buckley said referring to his side's 1-0 away win back in April.

 

A win for St. Pats would see them overtake Keith Long's side on goal difference, as both team's would then lie equal on 28 points each. With title ambitions now out of the picture, the Saints can be sure that a similar cup run to match last season's and a place in Europe next season would be seen as a season to look back on with satisfaction.

 

St. Pats will be without midfielder Conan Byrne as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury suffered against Dundalk, but will welcome back defender Kenny Browne who returns from suspension.

 

BOHEMIANS

Tuesday's game has taken on even bigger expectations on the back of last Friday's set of league fixtures. Before kick-off on Friday night Bohemians were beginning to look as if their impressive early-season form was slowing down, as a drab 0-0 draw at home to Bray was followed by an unimpressive first half showing in their eventual 4-1 FAI Cup win against Firhouse Clover.

 

But the stage was set for the upset of upsets on Friday night as Ireland manager Martin O'Neill and assistant Roy Keane took their seats at Oriel Park to see for themselves the unchallenged dominance of Stephen Kenny's unbeaten Dundalk.

 

However the script was to be torn asunder as goals within the first ten minutes from a Gary Rodgers own goal and a Dave McMillan strike were out-staged by a Dave Mulcahy winner in the 72nd minute. The win represented Dundalk's first league loss at home since Septmeber 2013. It also represented the first blemish on their unbeaten 2015 season as 14 wins and two draws preceded the defeat.

 

Manager Keith Long insists that Friday's win was down to the hard work of his players, and that the result shows that Bohemians can match any team in the Premier Division.

 

“I think Friday was a real return to what we’re about. The lads went out and worked extremely hard for each other”, he told bohemianfc.com

 

“The lads went out and worked extremely hard for each other. That’s the foundation for everything we do. If we work hard and we’re honest, we’ve got a chance.

 

“The players recognise what they need to do to win football matches, and I think we’ve shown that we’re more than a match for any team in this league.”

 

Bohs will now go into Tuesday's game with a sense of entitlement as they have seemingly earned the right to cast off doubts over their perceived early-season success.

 

A win for Keith Long's side would put considerable distance between themselves and Tuesday's opponents, as a six point gap would emerge between Bohemians and St. Patrick's in fourth and fifth place.

 

On Tuesday's night's game manager Long conceded that although it was going to be a tough game, that his players will be going into it with no fear of their opponents.

 

“It’s going to be a difficult task, but we’ll go to Inchicore in a good frame of mind”, he said. “I don’t think any team holds any fear for us.

 

“Obviously, we’ve great respect for St Pat’s, but it’s not about them from our point of view,” said Long. “We’ll be going there to have a go, as we have done in all the games so far.”

 

Bohemians will remain without captain Derek Pender and forward Marc Griffin for Tuesday's game. There are also doubts surrounding Paddy Kavanagh, Anto Murphy and Dave Mulcahy. Stephen Best will also be out of contention for Tuesday's game having suffered concussion against Dundalk.

 

Referee: Padraigh Sutton

 

MATCH STATS

Bohemians were the first side to beat Dundalk in 26 games, with the Lilywhites last defeat coming at the hands of Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup in September 2014. You have to go back to September 2013 for their last home league defeat which came against Limerick 2-1 at Oriel Park.

 

Aaron Greene's goal on Friday night was the player's fifth league goal of the season. He is the Saints top goalscorer in the Premier Division.

 

Both sets of teams have the exact same defensive record in the league this season with each side conceding 13 goals. Bohs have the upper hand in clean sheets however with 8 from fifteen league games, with St. Pats retaining 7 in their fifteen games.

 

Bohemians are one win away from matching their 2014 win tally of nine, with eighteen games remaining in the season.

 

BETTING

St. Patrick's Atheltic 8/11; Draw 12/5; Bohemians 4/1

 

PREDICTION

St. Patrick's Athletic 2-1 Bohemians

 

St. Patrick's Athleitc

Injured: Conan Byrne (hamstring)

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

 

Bohemians

Injured: Derek Pender (Achilles), Stephen Best (concussion), Marc Griffin (cruciate)

Doubtful: Anto Murphy, Paddy Kavanagh, Dave Mulcahy

Suspended:None