1. Can Pat’s show the same hunger again this week?
St Pat’s put themselves firmly on the list of title contenders with a hard-working and determined display against Sligo, inflicting the first league defeat of the season on the reigning champions.
Liam Buckley got his tactics spot on and his players followed them to the letter. From the first whistle Pat’s dominated midfield with their trio of John Russell, Greg Bolger and Killian Brennan overpowering Sligo with and without the ball. Up front Anto Flood put in one of his career-best performances, pressing relentlessly and holding up the ball to great effect.
Now Pat’s, who have been good without being great in the early weeks, must prove that win was not a flash in the pan. Derry City are the Premier Division’s form side seeking their seventh straight win, so Pat’s will need to match last week’s intensity to keep their own winning streak alive.
2. Who will win the aerial battle in Inchicore?
Leading the league with 23 goals from their first nine games, Derry City’s attacking form is hardly a secret. While Rory Patterson, Michael Rafter and Mark Griffin have rightly grabbed headlines for their contributions to the goal-glut, the supply to Derry’s front men can’t be overlooked.
In last week’s crucial 2-1 win against Shamrock Rovers, both of Derry’s goals came through crosses from the livewire threat of Patrick McEleney and Barry Molloy, who also managed to get on the scoresheet himself.
Up against a Pat’s team which has arguably the most impressive back four in the league — O’Brien, Kenna, Browne and Bermingham — Derry might find less joy via the aerial route this week. The individual match-ups across the park are intriguing to say the least.
3. Can Sligo draw a line under the “crisis” talk?
Immediately after last week’s defeat, Sligo boss Ian Baraclough was quick to nip any talk of a crisis in the bud.
After losing to Drogheda in the first leg of the Setanta Cup semi-finals a few days earlier, there was plenty of focus on how the champions would bounce back. To put it bluntly, they didn’t — but Baraclough saw no point in wallowing in defeat, or in griping about the two controversial decisions by Neil Doyle that shaped the game’s final minutes and snuffed out any hope of a comeback.
Sligo will find the questions slightly harder to hide from if they struggle against Drogheda again tomorrow night. Mick Cooke’s side have been a close match for the Bit O’Red in their recent encounters and as their run of eight games unbeaten in the league shows, they will be no pushover — even on a buzzy Saturday night in the Showgrounds.
4. How will Cork rally dressing room morale?
The league’s casual fans will get their first glimpse of the Stephen Kenny revolution when the RTÉ cameras land in Oriel Park tonight. Unusually, Dundalk’s form on the road has been far better than at home — they are still winless in Oriel and, to date, 12 of their 15 league points have been won away.
Tonight they meet a Cork side who have shot themselves in the foot more times than a man with a debilitating tendency to shoot himself in the foot. Much has been made of Cork’s inability to see a game out, and again that reared its ugly head twice in the last week: Darren Tinnelly equalised for Shelbourne in the fourth minute of stoppage time and then ex-Rebel Billy Dennehy landed a sucker punch for Shamrock Rovers in the Setanta Cup semis.
These late goals will unquestionably drain dressing room morale. Earlier this week, defender Danny Murphy described the Rovers loss as the lowest point of his 13-year career. Can Tommy Dunne rally the troops to take advantage of Dundalk’s home form?
5. Shane Tracy’s set piece school
If you’re in Thomond Park tomorrow night, bring a pen and paper. With a bit of luck, Shane Tracy might be giving free-kick classes again.
Three times last week — once against Bohs and twice in Bray last Sunday — Tracy scored stunning set pieces. Any dead balls around the penalty area are now legitimate chances for Lims and if Tracy continues to strike them as sweetly, sloppy defending is bound to be punished.
YouTube Credit: rte
Airtricity League fixtures (all kick-offs Friday, 7.45pm unless stated):
Premier Division:
- Dundalk v Cork City (Friday, 7.35pm)
- Bohemians v Bray Wanderers
- St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City
- UCD v Shamrock Rovers
- Limerick v Shelbourne (Saturday, 7.45pm)
- Sligo Rovers v Drogheda United (Saturday, 7.45pm)
First Division
- Mervue United v Athlone Town
- Finn Harps v Waterford United (Friday, 8pm)
- Wexford Youths v Cobh Ramblers (Friday, 8pm)
- Longford Town v Salthill Devon (Saturday, 7.30pm)
