Waterford to suffer from suspensions

WATERFORD UNITED are without the suspended Mark Clifford and Thomas Hughes for their FAI Carlsberg Cup quarter-final against Longford Town at Flancare Park tonight (7.30).

The two are ruled out for accumulated yellow card offences. Waterford manager Jimmy McGeough will also be without the capable David Breen, (injured ankle) who will be replaced by Brian Mallon.

It is certain Longford will subject the visitors to a severe test and will be boosted by their recollection of the League match they won here against Waterford, even if it was by a narrow margin.

Yet McGeough said: “We were crippled by the absence of injured players when we last played Longford. It looked as if they dominated the game but they didn’t pose much threat to our defence.”

Waterford have been very inconsistent in recent weeks, however, and while this must in part have been due to their extreme youth, McGeough also sought to lay some of the blame for their slippage in the League table to their own shortcomings.

He referred to their defeat by Drogheda United last weekend.

“I was disappointed that we did not stick our foot in more, especially late in the game. It looked as if some players had their eye on the Longford game coming up and didn’t want to risk injury.

“I’ve had to tell them that they were doing themselves no favours. It is when you are trying to protect yourself and being cautious that you do pick up an injury.”

The game between Drogheda United and Bohemians at 02 Park tonight has been brought forward to 5pm on the advice of the gardaí. And the game will mark Paul Doolin’s debut as manager of Drogheda.

Doolin did good work with UCD over the past couple of seasons but as always their prospects were not helped by the youthfulness of the players. The constant drain on their resources with their best players leaving on graduation placed a constant pressure on the management team.

Doolin, one of the most talented players in the League over the past decade and more, will have a different task at Drogheda where he will be supervising a largely professional group of players, many of them non-nationals.

Sligo Rovers should host their biggest crowd of recent seasons at the Showgrounds when they face fellow First Division side Galway United in the all-Connaught derby game (kick-off 7.30 pm).