League Preview: Waterford -v- Derry City

WATERFORD

Waterford will host Derry City on bank holiday Monday (kick-off 4pm) looking to make it back to back wins over the Easter weekend following their impressive 2-0 victory over rivals Cork City on Friday night.

It was a week of mixed fortunes for Alan Reynold’s side but on the field it has been a strong one in terms of results following up last Monday’s point away to Sligo with an impressive 2-0 victory over rivals Cork City.

The sides have already met this season with Derry City coming out the better on a 3-2 score line at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

Speaking ahead of the bank holiday fixture, manager Alan Reynolds believes his side will take a lot of confidence from Fridays victory over Cork.

“I think that ranks up there as one of our best performances this season. I thought in the second half of the game there was only one winner.

“Monday offers something different again with Derry City in really good form at the moment. Declan is doing a good job up there and they have quality players. They lost narrowly on Friday but they’re well up there. We competed well against them away from home earlier in the season so we need a good performance again on Monday to match how we played against Cork.

“We picked up a couple of knocks on Friday night so we might need to rearrange a few things but we’ve good players to step in if needed; they all can’t wait to get back on the pitch after Friday’s performance.”

DERRY CITY

Derry City will travel to the RSC this evening looking to bounce back after their disappointing 1-0 defeat to league leaders Shamrock Rovers on Friday evening.

That result leaves Declan Devine’s side in 4^th place and eleven points off the top but just three behind Bohemians in 2^nd.

Jamie McDonagh returns for the Candystripes having served his suspension and with such a hectic schedule at the moment, Devine will be delighted to have players coming back into contention. Conor McDermott also made his return as a substitute on Friday evening.

Speaking to the media ahead of the bank holiday fixture, Declan Devine wasn’t wanting to complain and insisted they just have to embrace the hectic schedule.

“It’s a hectic schedule as we keep saying but it’s the same for everyone and we just have to embrace it” said Devine.

“There has been little or no recovery time and no doubt we will have to freshen things up for the Waterford game but that’s a call we’ll make on Monday afternoon.

“The players have given everything we’ve asked of them and while I feel we were very unlucky to get nothing from the Rovers match, we’re ready to go again.

“Waterford will be in good spirits after beating Cork so we will have to be on top of our game to get anything from this one.”

Referee: Tomas Connolly

MATCH STATS

Derry City currently occupy 4^th position in the league table and have picked up a total of twenty points ahead of tonight’s game against Waterford. They are eleven points behind league leaders Shamrock Rovers following Friday evening’s 1-0 defeat but just three behind Bohs in 2^nd.

Waterford are sitting in sixth at the moment having taken just fourteen points from a possible thirty three so far this season. A win can see them leapfrog St. Pats into mid table if other results go their way as well.

Both league fixtures at the RSC last season resulted in wins for Waterford with Alan Reynold’s side winning 2-1 early in the season before recording an emphatic 4-0 victory in May.

BETTING

Waterford 15/8; Draw 9/4; Derry City 7/5

PREDICTION

Waterford 1-2 Derry City

Waterford

Injured:  None

Doubtful: Bastien Hery, Kenny Browne, Aaron Simpson, Izzy Akinade

Suspended:  None

Derry City:

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None