St Patrick's Athletic v Galway United

• Simon O'Gorman
• Sun, May 01 2011


St Patrick’s Athletic welcome Sean Connor’s Galway United to Richmond Park on Monday evening with Pete Mahon’s men looking to complete a six point haul over the bank holiday weekend. (Kick off 7.30pm)

With the first of four series of league games now completed both teams find themselves in the lower half of the table. St Pat’s would have hoped to have made more of an impression at this point a but a patchy league record has left them in sixth place, eight points behind current leaders Shamrock Rovers.

So Friday night’s 3-0 win over bottom club Drogheda United will have come as a great relief to all at Richmond Park and they now find themselves chasing a run of four unbeaten games in the league. Indeed they have now lost only once in their last six league outings, although three draws have somewhat compromised their points total.

Friday’s game will have been particularly pleasing for Mahon in terms of goals scored. The Saints had managed only two in their previous four games before Drogheda came to town but a brace from Daryl Kavanagh, his first competitive goals for the club, and another from striker Danny North will have done wonders for the home side’s confidence.

Mahon will again have to manage without the services of centre back Conor Kenna who will be out for a few weeks yet with a knee injury but his troubles are as nothing compared to those of his opposite number Sean Connor.

The Galway boss will have to plan without striker Joseph Yoffe and midfielders Gary Curran and Bobby Brown. Defender Shaun Maher is also a major doubt leave an already threadbare squad looking decidedly vulnerable.

One possible ray of hope for the ‘Tribesmen’ is the signing of former Salthill Devon striker Mikey Gilmore who made his debut in a maroon shirt on Friday night, coming off the bench for the final twenty minutes against Shamrock Rovers.

Galway currently lie second bottom of the league table having taken just five points from their nine games to date. Their campaign started with a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of St Pats on the opening night back in March and they have enjoyed only one win since. That came at their habitual happy hunting ground, Dalymount Park, where Bohemians were turned over 1-0. Draws at home to UCD and away to Drogheda complete Galway’s short list of positive results.

With a fourth consecutive defeat threatening, and with only two goals scored in their last five league games, the Galway faithful will be hoping their side can take prolong their host’s relationship with inconsistency, for another week at least.

St Patrick’s Ath
Injured: Conor Kenna.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Galway United
Injured: Gary Curran, Joseph Yoffe, Bobby Brown.
Doubtful: Shaun Maher.
Suspended: None.

Referee: Neil Doyle.
Paddy Power Odds: St Pat’s 2/5; Draw 11/4; Galway 9/1.
Extratime prediction: A 1-1 draw.