The Saints go marching west

HIGH-FLYING Saint Patrick’s Athletic head west tonight as they bid to make it ten games unbeaten since the start of the season.

The Premier Division league leaders face Galway United in Terryland Park, fresh from a 1-0 victory over Cork City in the Setanta Cup which has secured them home advantage in the semi-finals of that tournament.

Flawless in the league, Pats are looking to make it five wins out of five against the Premier Division newcomers but will have to do so without suspended full-back John Frost who was sent off against Bray Wanderers.

That was the game in which Mark Quigley scored a quick-fire hat-trick inside nine minutes but the striker is just one threat in an attacking Pats side who are bound to give the Tribesmen a searching test.

Says manager Johnny McDonnell: “We can’t play for nil-nils because we have too many good players to play like that. We have players who attack and play some great football. On the other side of that, we have players who can dig in when they have to and that makes us stronger.”

United will have to plan without striker Chris Armstrong who is out for up to three months after surgery on an achilles tendon injury. The former Pats player had managed only 12 minutes of last Tuesday’s League Cup clash in Monaghan before coming off injured.

Barry Moran and Derek Glynn are both pushing for starting places up-front in Armstrong’s absence, while David Cooke could come back into contention after sitting out Galway’s game on Tuesday.

Drogheda United, two points behind Pats in second place, are away to basement side Longford Town who are still without a point.

With Jason Gavin facing an operation on his dislocated shoulder, Drogs received a boost when both Graham Gartland and Steven Gray came through training this week and, pending late fitness tests, they look like they will line out in Longford. Skipper Declan O’ Brien, who missed the 0-0 draw with Linfield in Windsor Park, is also set to start.

Sligo Rovers, currently holding down third place, travel to Dalymount Park for their first meeting with Bohemians since manager Sean Connor switched clubs at the end of last season. The Dubliners welcome back captain Kevin Hunt and full back Owen Heary from suspension. Harpal Singh (groin) is unlikely to be risked while it’s expected that Liam Burns will be rested following the concussion he sustained in the victory over Waterford. A second league win, over arch rivals Shamrock Rovers, has put a spring in Bohs step but, says boss Connor: “Although it was an important result. We are not going to get carried away. Our focus now is on Sligo. I owe a big debt to the club. Hopefully, the fans will remember what I did for them. Some of them won’t but that’s football.”

UCD play host to Waterford United at Belfield, with Blues boss Gareth Cronin concerned about a number of injuries. Kenny Browne is still out with a broken hand he sustained in the workplace, Robbie Henderson hasn’t recovered from the groin injury which forced him out of the game against Bohs and David Breen, with a similar problem, is also a doubt for the game against the Students.

Says Cronin: “The lads got a boost from the win over Wexford (in the League Cup) on Monday and I am hoping that this confidence will carry into the game against UCD. The most important thing is to stop conceding silly goals and keep a clean sheet”.

For Shamrock Rovers, it’s an early Good Friday kick off at 5.00pm as they visit Bray looking to put the disappointment of their late, late defeat to Bohs behind them.

Pat Scully has the same squad to choose from, meaning that Rovers will again be without skipper Aidan Price, Danny O’Connor, Andy Myler and Paul Shiels.

“Nothing’s changed,” says the Hoops’ boss. “It’ll be at least 2-3 weeks before Aidan, Danny or Andy will be fit. And it’s going to take a little longer before Paul will be back. On the positive side, Ger O’Brien and Tadhg Purcell both got a good 90 minutes on Tuesday against Bohs. It was very disappointing to lose that game. We played very well in the first-half, played some really good football and caused them an awful lot of problems.

“But in the second-half we played too deep, make a couple of mistakes, and our composure on the ball could’ve been better at times. Basically, we gave them a couple of goals. As far as I’m concerned they didn’t win, we gave them the three points.”

All tonight’s other games kick off at 7.45pm, while Derry City and Cork City will have to wait until Monday night for an 8pm clash at The Brandywell which will be carried live on Setanta Sports.

Setanta has also confirmed it will screen next month’s Cork City v St Pat’s Premier Division meeting live on Thursday, May 3rd. The game was scheduled for the following evening.