Shamrock Rovers -v- Drogheda United

• Simon O'Gorman
• Sat, Sep 21 2013




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SHAMROCK ROVERS

Shamrock Rovers continue their bid to turn a season of disappointment in the league into one of Cup glory as they meet Drogheda United in a cup final for the second time this year.

 

The Hoops have already booked a place in the FAI Cup semi-finals and a win here would secure their second trophy of the season having already laid claim to the Setanta Cup when they beat Drogheda United 7-1 in the final back in May.

 

The scale of that result is widely regarded as a bit of a freak but Rovers’ more recent 2-0 win over St Patrick’s Athletic in the FAI Cup quarter-finals demonstrated a recent vein of form that suggests they might finally be starting to come good on their undoubted potential.

 

Moving Gary McCabe from out on the wing into a role behind the target man has proved to be a master stroke by manager Trevor Croly with McCabe scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over Cork City in the league and causing all manner of problems for St Pats in the cup game.

 

The Tallaght side are now on a run of five straight wins in all competitions and have won 13 of their 16 cup games so far in 2013. The Hoops actually lost their first cup match of the season when they went down 1-0 away to Coleraine in the Setanta Cup and the Hoops also recorded two draws against Cork City in the same competition, going through on away goals thanks to Billy Dennehy’s late strike in Turner’s Cross.

 

Trevor Croly will be without the suspended Mark Quigley for this game and he is also waiting on the fitness of four players; Ronan Finn, Eamon Zayed, Derek Foran and Karl Sheppard.

 

DROGHEDA UNITED

Drogheda United are the current holders of the EA Sports Cup and will be looking to retain the trophy they won at Tallaght Stadium against Shamrock Rovers last year.

 

Drogheda won that game 3-1 with goal from Declan O’Brien, Kerrea Gilbert (og) and Eric Foley and they will be looking to this game for inspiration rather than the teams’ more recent cup meeting when the Drogs suffered a 7-1 mauling at the hands of the Hoops in the Setanta Cup final earlier this season.

 

Like their opponents, Drogheda have had a somewhat disappointing league campaign with last season’s second placed finish being replaced in 2013 by a mid-table battle for position with Cork City and Limerick. Also like their opponents Drogheda have made up for this with some excellent cup form.

 

Manager Mick Cooke has already taken his charges to one cup final, beating Portadown, Derry City and Sligo Rovers before the somewhat bizarre defeat to Rovers in the final of the Setanta Cup. Longford, Cork and Derry (again) were all dispatched on the way to this final and Drogheda have also made it to the FAI Cup semi-finals with a replay victory over Finn Harps last Monday night.

 

But the jewel in Drogheda’s cup crown so far this year was their impressive performances, home and away, against the Swedish side Malmo FF in the Europa League which saw the Drogs lose out 2-0 on aggregate to a team that went on to beat Scottish SPL side Hibernians 9-0 in the next round.

Currently, Drogheda are on a run of form that has seen them lose just one of their last 12 games in all competitions and a return to defensive solidity has seen Cooke’s men keep four clean sheets in their last six league outings. Up front the evergreen Declan O’Brien continues to enhance his career stats with a total of 19 goals in league and cup this year.

 

Cooke has a fully fit squad to choose from with Mick Daly and Gavin Brennan both having served suspensions in the FAI Cup replay against Finn Harps earlier this week. Cathal Brady, who has been out with a thigh injury, also returns to the match day squad.

 

Referee: Padraigh Sutton.

 

 

MATCH STATS

This game will be Drogheda’s 18th cup game of the season and Shamrock Rovers’ 17th. 

 

Billy Dennehy is Rovers’ top goal-scorer in the Cups with eight. But he has yet to score in the league this year.

 

Shamrock Rovers have scored 40 cup goals this season while Drogheda United have managed 36.

 

 

BETTING

Shamrock Rvrs 8/11, Draw 12/5, Drogheda Utd 4/1.

 

PREDICTION

Rovers’ good form is slightly more impressive than Drogheda’s good form. Shamrock Rovers to win 2-1.

 

 

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: None.
Doubtful: Ronan Finn, Eamon Zayed, Derek Foran, Karl Sheppard.
Suspended: Mark Quigley.

 

Drogheda United

Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.