The Ireland Premier League now has a clear divide between the top and bottom of the table and we have a key clash at the bottom this week.
The game between Drogheda United and St Patrick's Athletic will be played on the 7th of June at Hunky Dorys Park.
The hosts are currently bottom of the table on 15 points having played 19 games while the visitors are two places above them on 23 points having played 21 games.
REACTION | Kevin Doherty Post Match | Sligo Rovers 2-1 Drogheda Unitedhttps://t.co/fJ8qS2ZEI6 pic.twitter.com/E3WvoVqQHk— Drogheda United F.C. (@DroghedaUnited) June 3, 2024
REACTION | Kevin Doherty Post Match | Sligo Rovers 2-1 Drogheda Unitedhttps://t.co/fJ8qS2ZEI6 pic.twitter.com/E3WvoVqQHk
Drogheda United come into the match having lost 2-1 at Sligo Rovers on Monday. Sligo Rovers opened the scoring in the 18th minute and doubled their advantage shortly before halftime. Into the second half and Drogheda United pulled a goal back in the 46th minute but could not find the equaliser in the time that remained.
The defeat at Sligo Rovers means Drogheda United have lost each of their last 4 matches in the Ireland Premier League.
The additional defeats came against Galway United and Shamrock Rovers at home plus Waterford away.
Statistics show Drogheda United have lost each of their last 2 home games but they are undefeated in 6 of their 8 most recent Ireland Premier League fixtures on home soil. There have been over 2.5 goals and both teams have scored in 5 of Drogheda United’s last 6 home league matches.
St Patrick's Athletic travel to Hunky Dorys Park on the back of a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Dundalk on Monday. Dundalk raced into a 2-0 lead after only 4 minutes and netted their third goal just 18 minutes later.
There was still time for more goals in the first half and St Patrick's Athletic scored in the 27th minute and added a second goal in the 35th minute. It was surprising to see no goals scored in the second half.
The defeat to Dundalk was the first defeat in 4 games for St Patrick's Athletic in all competitions. They beat Galway United 2-1 at home in the Ireland Premier League and defeated Bray Wanderers 3-0 away in the Leinster Senior Cup. St Patrick's Athletic also picked up a point in the league thanks to a 2-2 draw at Bohemians.
Trends show St Patrick's Athletic have failed to win any of their last 9 away Ireland Premier League matches. However, they have drawn each of their last 2 league games on the road and seen over 2.5 goals and both teams score in 3 of their 5 most recent away trips.
Team news and Drogheda United could make a couple of changes to their starting XI from Monday, with Warren Davis and Adam Foley coming into the team.
St Patrick's Athletic have three doubts for this game with Ruairi Keating, Axel Sjoberg, and Anto Breslin all unlikely to feature.
This is a vital game for these two teams at the foot of the table. Their form suggests we should see plenty of goals and we expect both teams to score with over 2.5 goals in total. In terms of a result prediction, it is difficult to split them and we think the match will end level.