Saturday 26/07/2014, 21:00, Ireland Premier League, Round 21, Athlone vs St Patrick's
Athlone vs St Patrick's Betting Preview
After losing 13 games in a row, even the scoreless draw recorded against relegation threatened Bray Wanderers looked like an accomplishment for Athlone. On the other hand, winning a match every five games is not enough and they need to step up their efforts if they are to stay in the Irish first division at the end of the season. Under normal circumstances, St. Patrick's would be the sort of opponent to avoid but tonight the hosts have a good chance of earning at least one point.
Athlone vs St Patrick's Betting Odds
At Bet365
Athlone 7.00, Draw 4.50, St Patrick's 1.45
Athlone vs St Patrick's Betting Tips
St. Patrick's was by far the biggest disappointment of all Irish teams who competed in Europa League over the last 10 days. It looked like they gave everything on the pitch away from home and could've gotten away with all three points at Legia, but the hosts leveled the score in overtime. In the second leg, the Irish side suffered a complete meltdown and allowed five unanswered goals.
This is a terrible way to be eliminated from a prestigious competition, not to mention that the players' morale has been shattered. They need to shake off that defeat and focus on what can still be salvaged, more precisely to win the domestic championship. This looks like a bridge too far and for good reasons as they trail the leader by nine points and were painfully ineffective over the last month.
Not winning against the last placed Athlone would be a disastrous result for the visitors, but even though they start as favorites, this sort of pressure will only hurt their chances. St. Patrick's was lucky enough to have games postponed so they can focus on the Europa League adventure, but even so players are not fully recovered.
Fagan played 20 games this season already and he has been stretched thin, but it goes without saying that the most prolific striker for St. Patrick's will also play tonight. The hosts will assign two players to guard him at all times, while using just one striker themselves, the veteran Gorman.
Key Facts
- After staying invincible for six consecutive games, St. Patrick's are winless in the last four matches.
- Athlone won just three times in 10 games, with a single match ending undecided.
Athlone vs St Patrick's Betting Prediction
Punters have two choices if they seek to extract maximum value from odds, with the obvious one being to bet on the hosts to win or draw. Since Athlone ended a single match undecided the season it is better to put safety first and back them with the safety net of the 1:0 Asian Handicap. What happens is that if the visitors win by a single goal, Bet365 will return the stakes.
Bet: Athlone 1:0 Asian Handicap @ 2.10 with Bet365
