League Preview: Waterford -v- Longford Town

WATERFORD

Waterford will be looking to ease their automatic relegation worries this weekend as they welcome Longford Town to the RSC on Friday night (kick-off is at 7.45pm).

The Blues lost 2-1 away to St Patrick’s Athletic last time out, falling behind Finn Harps in the process.

This game offers Marc Bircham’s side a chance to return to winning ways, but he is aware of the challenge his side faces.

“We want to start another run, but we certainly won’t take anything for granted against Longford.

“Playing the teams around the bottom, like ourselves, Finn Harps, Longford, are often just as hard as playing the teams at the top.

“From what we’ve seen of Longford, they should have more points on the board because they’re a decent side, so we’ll plan like always and look to win. 

“Confidence is high in the team at the moment. The team performances and individual performance give us confidence, but I keep reminding the lads that we haven’t won anything yet.

“It was a good run, and we won some games, but this is where the hard work starts again.”

LONGFORD TOWN

Relegation threatened Longford Town take on Waterford at the RSC on Friday night.

Town are in deep relegation trouble, but their manager Daire Doyle said his side will keep up their fight until the bitter end.

“It’s a big gap,” he said after Saturday’s defeat to Finn Harps. “Stranger things have happened in football in the past.

“You only have to look at West Brom as an example years ago when Horsfield scored the goals to keep them up. Everyone wrote them off with ten or twelve games to go.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in football, but one thing you can be sure of is that we have an excellent and committed group of players who are together, and they will continue to give it their all.

“We have a group and staff in there that are as far as I’m concerned, the best in the country.

“I know the work we put in, and I’ve been around the game a long time. I’ve been in England and at other League of Ireland clubs and the work we put in is as good as you will get.

“But we haven’t seen the points to back up the work that we’ve been doing. It’s from no lack of effort. We will continue to fight, and we won’t let anyone’s heads drop.

“We can’t allow that to happen with 12 games to go because if we do it would become a bleak time.

“Regardless of what happens we have a lot of personal pride and will continue to work to be professional to give everything for the club because I won’t accept anything less.”

Referee: David Dunne.

BETTING

Waterford 19/20; Draw 23/10; Longford Town 5/2.

PREDICTION

Waterford 2 - 1 Longford Town

Waterford

Injured: Oscar Brennan, Daryl Murphy, Paul Martin.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: Anthony Wordsworth.

Longford Town

Injured: Shane Elworthy, Dean Byrne.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.