19.30 29 Aug 2015 -
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
League Preview: Longford Town -v- Bray Wanderers
- Aaron Gallagher
- Fri, Aug 28 2015
LONGFORD TOWN
Longford are riding the crest of a golden wave this week following their 2-0 away win against Cockhill Celtic on Saturday, as they find themselves with a favourable home draw against Sheriff YC in the quarter finals of this season's FAI Cup.
A James Bradley own goal topped off with an 86th minute Lorcan Shannon winner ensured Tony Cousins' men a place in the last eight of the competition they last won in 2004, with their first season back in the Premier Division now coming to a satisfying end.
League progress has halted in recent weeks however, as Town find themselves just three points off second from bottom Sligo Rovers as they now begin to find themselves being sucked into an unforgiving relegation dogfight that now possesses six of the Premier Division's twelve clubs.
Such is their recent run of poor form that Longford have only one league win in their previous eight games, their last victory coming against Bohemians on July 4th, with Tuesday's Leinster Senior League game against Shamrock Rovers being postponed due to bad weather.
A 3-3 draw away to Limerick topped off with losses to Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Cork have seen their once comfortable hold on sixth spot seized and taken away in the last two months of the league calendar.
Positives can be drawn from their heroic 0-0 draw away to Dundalk with ten men as well as their recent cup success, but it will be Saturday evening’s game at home to Bray that will offer the opportunity to settle nerves and banish any possible fleeting thoughts of a relegation scrap enveloping Tony Cousins' side.
BRAY WANDERERS
Bray are themselves riding high on all fronts in weeks of late. With two victories over Bohemians in the space of five days the Seasiders are now slowly bridging the gap on fifth place in the Premier Division and also, more significantly, have found their way into the last eight of the FAI Cup.
A game, hung on the balance of one controversial decision, saw Bray exit Dalymount as 1-0 winners last Friday night, as Peter McGlynn's floated cross after four minutes was deemed to have crossed Dean Delany's line by linesman Robert Clarke despite most of the 1,218 strong crowd – as well as McGlynn himself – shocked to see the goal given.
But Bray have been used to slim margins in recent months, as nine of their last eleven games have ended 1-0. And despite this they find themselves in their most secure state all season, as the evidence of seven wins in their last ten games in all competitions proves to all who doubted them earlier in the campaign that they intend to go out in a string of positive performances, one game at a time.
And so Saturday night's game at the City Calling Stadium will serve as the calm before the storm of their games against John Caulfield's Cork City and then Killester United at the Carlisle Grounds on September 11th.
Mick Cooke will be without Graham Kelly for Saturday's game as the player serves a one match suspension for a culmination of five yellow cards, but has welcomed back David Scully to full training as the player was released from hospital on Friday night following a suspected concussion suffered late on against Bohemians.
John Sullivan returns to the squad for Saturday's game having been cup tied against Bohemians, but Cooke will remain without the injured pairing of Adam Hanlon and Stephen McGuinness who are sidelined with knee and ankle injuries respectively.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
MATCH STATS
Bray have conceded just three goals in their last ten games in all competitions.
Longford have won just one league game since beating Bray 1-0 at the Carlilse Grounds on June 5th.
Bray have scored the least number of goals of all teams in the Premier Division (19).
Town won three games in their opening round of eleven games, two in their second round, and have won just one (vs Bohemians) in their closing round of fixtures with eight games remaining.
Thirteen of Bray's 24 league games have ended 1-0 this season – 6 wins, 7 losses.
BETTING
Longford Town 7/5 Draw 23/10; Bray Wanderers 2/1.
PREDICTION
Longford Town 1-2 Bray Wanderers.
Longford Town
Injured: Unknown.
Doubtful: Unknown.
Suspended: None.
Bray Wanderers
Injured: Adam Hanlon (knee) Stephen McGuinness (ankle).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Graham Kelly.
About Aaron Gallagher
Aaron is a Dublin-based freelance writer currently studying journalism at Dublin City University. You can follow more of his work on Twitter @AaronGallagher8