Play-off jostle begins as cup finalists Drogheda await victors

Meanwhile, Cork City have had six players included in the PFAI’s First Division team of the year, as voted by their peers.

Thu, 24 Oct, 2024 - 07:00

John Fallon

Drogheda United await which team of four emerges from the First Division playoff series, starting on Tuesday night.

Cork City slipped out of the Premier Division to a soaring Waterford side in last year’s contest but the timeline has been distorted by Drogs’ march to the FAI Cup final.

That decider at Lansdowne Road on Sunday, November 10 means the one-off clash to decide the final entrant of the 10-team Premier Division has been delayed until the following Saturday, November 16 at Tallaght Stadium.

Form rarely applies in the First Division phase which precedes that.

UCD finished second to Cork City but only Athlone Town beat the Rebels, the second a resounding victory in the penultimate series of the regulation season.

That pair could meet in the First Division final but two other sides will fancy upsetting the forecasts between Thursday and Monday over two legs.

Bray Wanderers, who parted ways with manager Ian Ryan during the season, host UCD at the Carlisle Grounds, hopeful they can finally discover a degree of consistency.

Elsewhere, in the Midlands, a Wexford team hammered 6-0 in their final game by City, square up against Athlone Town.

With their place in the playoffs assured, James Keddy adopted a rotational approach and the Midlanders may face a unit more resembling the version that had Drogheda on the ropes in the FAI Cup semi-final.

Meanwhile, Cork City have had six players included in the PFAI’s First Division team of the year, as voted by their peers.

First Division Team: Brad Wade (Cork City); Cian Coleman (Cork City), Éanna Clancy (UCD), Charlie Lyons (Cork City), Evan McLaughlin (Cork City); Sean Brennan (UCD), Greg Bolger (Cork City), Cathal O’Sullivan (Cork City); Dean Ebbe (Athlone Town), Ryan Kelliher (Kerry), Aaron Dobbs (Wexford).

Premier Division Team: Brendan Clarke (Galway United); Josh Honohan (Shamrock Rovers), Mark Connolly (Derry City), Paddy Barrett (Shelbourne), Joe Redmond (St Patrick’s Athletic); Michael Duffy (Derry City), Mark Coyle (Shelbourne), Dylan Watts (Shamrock Rovers); Pat Hoban (Derry City), Johnny Kenny (Shamrock Rovers), Pádraig Amond (Waterford).