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

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

St Patrick’s Athletic come into this evening’s Dublin derby fixture with Bohemians on a hot streak having won five of their last six games in all competitions.

 

This included handing First Division titans Limerick their first defeat of the season after overcoming Martin Russell’s men 2-0 to progress to the quarter-final stage of the FAI Cup last Friday.

 

Earlier in the month, the Saints also booked an EA Sports Cup final date after comfortably dispatching rivals Shamrock Rovers 3-1 at Tallaght Stadium. They will now face Limerick once again, this time with silverware on the line.

 

In terms of league form, Pats have won three of their last four games 1-0. At the beginning of August an Ian Bermingham goal helped see off Wexford Youths, and a 1-1 draw with Derry City followed, before consecutive 1-0 victories over Galway United and Longford Town with goals courtesy of Christy Fagan and Mark Timlin respectively.

 

They now welcome neighbours Bohemians to Richmond Park where another win could see the Saints propelled above Sligo Rovers into fifth if other results fall their way as they look to keep their slim hopes of a European placed finish alive.



 

The two previous encounters between the sides this season saw two very different results with Pats winnings the first 3-0 before Bohs coasted to a 5-1 win at the end of May, setting up their third encounter very nicely.

 

Saints manager Liam Buckley is expecting an exciting but tight game this evening.

 

“Dublin derbies are always great occasions and Friday’s game against Bohemians will be no different,” Buckley told stpatsfc.com. “We’ve seen two very different results when the sides have met this year so a tight game is likely to be on the cards.”



 

“We’ve put together a couple of results lately and that has been very pleasing. However we have still got to take it a game at a time, and fully focus on the opposition so our focus since last weekend has been on Bohs and putting in a performance to try and win the three points.”

 

Bermingham scored a late consolation goal in the 5-1 defeat to Bohs last May and when speaking to stpatsfc.com earlier this week, spoke of his and his teammates’ determination to put that performance right.

 

“That was a crazy match that day for us,” the defender told stpatsfc.com. “We were all over the place the first 20 minutes and they took advantage of that. Things are after chaning now though as we’ve got a few results under our belt in the last while, so it’ll be a completely different game.”

 

“We know they have some players in forward positions who can hurt teams such as Curtis Byrne and Ismahil Akinade, while I’d know lads like Jake Kelly and Mark Quigley well having played with us before so there’s no doubting they’re a good side. That said though, we’ve been going well and if we can repeat some of the good performances we’ve put in lately, we can hopefully take the points.”

 

Sean Hoare is the only absentee for St Pat’s through suspension with no injury concerns for Buckley’s squad.

 

 

BOHEMIANS

Bohemians have enjoyed a decent string of results this month and are currently unbeaten in the league in August with two wins and a draw.

 

They opened the month with a 2-0 win over Finn Harps, winning their first game at Dalymount Park in their previous seven home games in the process. They then held title contenders Cork City to a stalemate at Turners Cross before dramatically fighting back from two goals down to defeat Sligo Rovers 3-2 with Stephen Best scoring a last-minute winner.

 

They do however come into this game with Pats on the back of defeat having been seen off 2-0 by Derry City in the FAI Cup Third Round last week.

 

Keith Long will certainly be hoping to pick up at least a point at the in-form Saints this evening as despite their impressive wins of late in the league, they still find themselves only six points ahead of 9th and 10th placed Bray Wanderers and Finn Harps, both of whom hold a game in hand over The Gypsies.

 

A point could see them move above Galway United into seventh while a win would see them pull within a point of St Pat’s who currently occupy 6th place.

 

A difficult task already is made even more strenuous as the Bohemians injury list is beginning to mount with a number of key men ruled out for tonight’s clash.

 

Stephen Best misses out with an ankle injury while Derek Pender is also missing from defence through suspension although he is also suffering from a thigh injury.

 

Mark Quigley is set to miss out with a hamstring problem while Ismahil Akinade is a serious doubt through an illness which has seen sit out two of Bohs’ last three games.

 

In more positive news, goalkeeper Shane Supple is once again available for selection having suffered an ankle injury against Cork two weeks ago.

 

 

Referee: Graham Kelly

 

 

MATCH STATS

The last time St Pat’s scored more than one goal in a league game was way back in May when they dismantled Finn Harps 4-0. Since then The Saints have only scored five goals in eight league fixtures.

 

The previous three games between the sides over the last two seasons have seen a man sent off. Sean Hoare, Ismahil Akinade and Jason McGuinness were the culprits.

 

In their last ten meetings together in all competitions there has only been one draw between the clubs with St Pats winning six and Bohemians winning three.

 

BETTING

St Patrick’s Athletic evens; Draw 21/10; Bohemians 13/5.

 

PREDICTION

St Patrick’s Athletic 2-1 Bohemians

 

St Patrick's Athletic

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: Sean Hoare.

 

Bohemians

Injured: Stephen Best, Mark Quigley.

Doubtful: Ismahil Akinade.

Suspended: Derek Pender.