LEAGUE OF IRELAND PROMOTION-RELEGATION PLAY-OFFS:HfAVING SPENT the last eight months sorting the list of the country's best and worst sides into an easy to read table format, the League of Ireland enters its high stakes lottery phase this evening as the first of the end-of-season play-off games take place in Galway, Waterford and Cobh.
Just a few days after holding the new champions at the Carlisle Grounds, where they probably should have won, Bray head to Terryland Park in the hope of upsetting the league places and condemning Seán Connor’s men to a two-legged relegation play-off against either Waterford or Monaghan over the weekend.
Galway have also finished their campaign on a little bit of a high with last week’s remarkable win over then league leaders Bohemians followed by a high-scoring draw in United Park on Friday.
Connor will be without Ciarán Foley (ankle) for tonight’s game but Stephen O’Donnell should feature after playing the last 20 minutes of the 3-3 draw in Drogheda where a handful of players were rested.
The United boss has a strong squad to choose from, with a couple of strikers back in the frame after spells on the sidelines but the team badly needs to tighten things up at the back after conceding 24 goals in their last eight games of the regular season.
Wanderers finished 11 points adrift of their rivals but have shown the stronger form of late and confidence should be high after another good performance against Rovers. Seán Houston, John Mulroy and Derek Prendergast are out, though, while Graham Kelly is a minor concern due to a stomach bug. On the brighter side, Danny O’Connor returns from suspension.
“I think we showed on Friday we’re well capable of playing,” says director of football Pat Devlin, “and I’d love to be going into this game with a full squad but we’ll travel well regardless; be well prepared and give it a right go.”
Monaghan need to rediscover something approaching their best form if they are to avoid finishing up empty-handed at the end of a season that promised so much until the last few weeks, although manager Mick Cooke reckons the quality of his side’s display against Derry City on Saturday augurs well for the trip to the RSC, even if United lost the game.
“We were a lot better even though we didn’t get what we deserved from it,” he says, “and hopefully we can build on that in Waterford. We’ve beaten them three times already in the league this year and came from two behind at half-time down there last time, although I’m not sure whether the record is a good thing really, because to beat them four times is a hell of an ask.”
Cooke rates Karl Bermingham’s chances of overcoming a knee injury to play in the game as no better than 50/50, while Aidan Collins is out with a hamstring problem.
Stephen Henderson has everyone bar Vinny Sullivan (shoulder) available for selection.
In the night’s other play-off game Cobh Ramblers take on Salthill Devon at St Colman’s Park, with the two sides due to meet again in the return leg at Drom on Saturday evening.
First Division Top Four
PWDLFAPt
Derry City 332094652469
Waterford Utd 332067592766
Monaghan Utd 331887592962
Shelbourne 331878573161
Promotion/Relegation Play-offs
(To play in First Division)
Tonight– Cobh Ramblers v Salthill Devon, St Colman's Park, 7.45pm. Saturday – Salthill Devon v Cobh, Drom, 7.45pm.
(To play in Premier Division)
Tonight– Match A: Galway Utd v Bray Wanderers, Terryland Park, 7.45pm; Match B: Waterford Utd v Monaghan Utd, RSC, 7.45pm. Friday – Match B winner v Match A loser, venue TBC. Monday (November 8th) – Match A loser v Match B winner, venue TBC.
