Preview: St Patrick’s Athletic vs Dundalk – prediction, team news, fixtures

Hoping to cut the deficit higher Irish Premier Division tableSt Patrick’s Athletic host Dundalk at Richmond Park on Friday.

Saints are looking for their second league win in four games, while the Lilywhites are aiming to end their losing streak.

Game preview

Stephen Kenny’s St Pat’s finished fifth in the Irish Premier Division last season, and while a return to European football would represent an impressive campaign, the club are not yet out of title contention.

Saints currently sit in third place, with their 42 points eight behind Shamrock Rovers, although the Red Army have a game in hand to be crowned champions.

However, it remains to be seen whether Kenny’s side can capitalize on their advantage, given themselves They drew 1-1 with Waterford July 10 means they have now won one of the last three Premier Division games.

To make matters worse, St Pat’s have lost three, drawn two and won just three of their last eight league games, a poor return of 11 points from a possible 24.

Some fans will find the fact that Saints beat Wexford 2-1 in the FAI Cup last Friday, but critics will point out that they needed Aidan Keena’s 90th-minute winner to beat the second-tier rivals.

Meanwhile, Ciaran Kilduff’s Dundalk enjoyed four wins and one draw between mid-May and mid-June, but have fallen into a losing streak.

In their latest league game, the Lilywhites were there lost 2-1 to struggling Drogheda – The Drogs’ first win in nine games – a poor result that extended their losing streak to three games.

That poor form has dealt Kilduff’s European hopes a serious blow, as they now sit in fourth place, seven points behind their third-placed rivals.

However, Dundalk ended their losing streak last Friday, moving past St Mocha’s FC with a convincing 3-1 victory in the Leinster Senior League.

The win may have come against a weaker side, but fans will be hoping it will turn the tide as the Lilywhites regain confidence ahead of this week’s game from their record of losing just once in their last six away games.

St Patrick’s Athletic League of Ireland Premier form:

St Patrick’s Athletic form (all competitions):

Dundalk League of Ireland Premier Form:

Dundalk form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / Pressinphoto

St Patrick’s Athletic full-back Ronan Boyce has missed the last two games and is expected to be out again on Friday, with James Brown likely to replace Sean Hoare, Joe Redmond and Luke Turner.

At the other end of the pitch, right winger Zack Elbouzedi and striker Max Mata will both sit out as they recover from their own injuries, although Aidan Keena and Kian Leavy should be available to support striker Ryan Edmondson up top.

Dundalk are short on players, too, with defender Norman Garbett and striker Daniel Mullen continuing to struggle for contention following hamstring and hamstring injuries.

If they are not available, striker Leonardo Gaxha may be joined by three players Mayowa Animasahun, Ronan Teahan and Daryl Horgan.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Conor Kearns is still out with a knee injury he picked up in April, while defender Conor O’Keeffe has missed the last 14 games and will not be available on Friday.

With that in mind, Kilduff could opt for a centre-half pairing of Robert Cornwall and Bobby Burns in front of stopper Enda Minogue.

St Patrick’s Athletic likely starting team:

Rogers; Redmond, Hoare, Turner; Brown, Keena, Lennon, Palmer, McClelland; Leavy, Keena; Edmondson

Dundalk likely to start the draft:

Minogue; J Wilson, Cornwall, Burns, T Wilson; Buckley, Dervin; Animashun, Teahan, Horgan; Gaxha

We say: St Patrick’s Athletic 1-1 Dundalk

St Pat’s have been inconsistent and far from their best in recent weeks, but will be confident of at least avoiding defeat on Friday, boosted by the chance to stay close to Shamrock Rovers.

Dundalk may have lost three league games before this game, but their strong away record suggests they can fight for a point away from home.

For data analysis of the most likely results, score lines and more for this game please click here.