Friday 05/09/2014, 21:00, Ireland Premier League, Round 27, St Patrick's vs Dundalk
St Patrick's vs Dundalk Preview
There are enough rounds left to be played in the Irish Premier League, but little can change at the top of the standings, where Dundalk is the dominant team. They have a six-point cushion over Cork City and won both head to head games this season by a comfortable margin, so it is unlikely for them to lose the title. On the other hand, St. Patrick's is still chasing the elusive second place that might send them to Europa League, so they will be the more determined team to win tonight.
St Patrick's vs Dundalk Odds
At Expekt
St Patrick's 2.90, Draw 3.80, Dundalk 2.35
St Patrick's vs Dundalk Tips
St. Patrick's is one of the best home teams in the Premier League, but they dropped so many points on the road that it is virtually impossible for them to win the championship. Finishing on the podium seems like a more reasonable objective and they are clearly on the right track, as they sit in the third place ahead of Shamrock Rovers.
In order to consolidate their position, they need at least one point tonight, but defending against Dundalk is a surefire way of dropping points. Fagan is going to spearhead the offensive, which is hardly a surprise, given the fact that he is the top scorer in the Irish first division. Quigley joined him up front on 17 occasions, but the striker has been disappointing this season as they only scored once is that many games.
In the other half, we have a highly competitive team which has the best record both at home and on the road and one that lost just once in the last 20 games. Dundalk didn't play in European competitions this season, which gave them plenty of time to focus exclusively at the task at hand.
Winning the championship is their top objective and given the current state of affairs, they are marching towards a relatively easy victory. Tonight they will field a single striker, but with Hoban scoring 15 goals in 2014, he might be enough to win the match.
Key Facts
- Three of the top six scorers in the Irish Premier League play for St. Patrick's, with two of them being midfielders.
- The head to head record clearly favors St. Patrick's, who won 14 games in front of their fans while dropping just four matches.
St Patrick's vs Dundalk Prediction
Dundalk is dominating the domestic championship and play very well on the road, but tonight they take on a team that is truly a fortress when having the support of their fans. St. Patrick's won the last two games by 1-0 and could very well get away with another narrow margin victory, so it is worth taking the 0:0 Asian handicap with Expekt.
Bet: St Patrick's Draw no Bet @ 2.10 with Expekt
