IN A premier division programme packed these days with Dublin derbies, tomorrow’s meeting between Dundalk and Drogheda United stands out as providing rare local rivalry for clubs from outside the capital.
The two sides have already met once in a pre-season friendly, won by this weekend’s hosts Dundalk, and Ian Foster’s side have since made much the brighter start to their league campaign, with a narrow win in Bray last week comfortably outshining United’s second-half collapse at home to UCD.
Alan Mathews is fairly scathing about his side’s performance over the closing stages against the students and Alan McNally admitted that the players’ lack of familiarity with each other had contributed to what was a very bad night.
But, the manager says, “it will be very much as we were because with a couple of players suspended, we really don’t have the option of shaking things up in the way you’d probably like to in the wake of a performance like last week’s.
“The players are well aware that it wasn’t good enough, though, so I’m expecting a reaction and the fact it’s Dundalk we are playing will provide an extra incentive.”
Eric McGill and Paul Crowley are the suspended players while Robbie Martin is a doubt having taken a knock to the head in the UCD game.
The home side, meanwhile, had 10 players making their competitive debuts at the Carlisle Grounds but they are very close to full strength with Tiarnan Mulvenna (knee) likely to be the only absentee.
The most interesting of the weekend’s Setanta Cup games looks to be the meeting at Windsor Park of Linfield and St Patrick’s Athletic, with both sides needing a win to ensure a home draw in the semi-finals.
The Dubliners will be without the injured Noel Haverty while the northerners are expected to rest the likes of Jamie Mulgrew, Curtis Allen and Billy Joe Burns ahead of Tuesday’s big Irish League game against second-placed Cliftonville.
The sides drew 1-1 a couple of weeks back at Richmond Park and St Patrick’s manager Pete Mahon insists that the aim will be to go one better this time.
“We showed in the first game that we can match them so we’ll be going up to try and win,” he said.
In the day’s other game, meanwhile, Glentoran almost certainly need to put their recent problems behind them and win at Dalymount if they are to progress to the competition’s semi-finals.
It’s a tall order for new manager Scott Young who knows that his side’s only other hope of making the last four would be a point against Bohemians and a three goal margin of victory for either side in the Windsor Park game.
Pat Fenlon is again without the injured Jason Byrne while Gareth McGlynn, Stephen Gray and Ruaidhri Higgins are all cup-tied. “We want to win this match to guarantee a home second leg in the semi-finals,” says the Dubliner.
