20.00 29 Apr 2016 -
Referee: Graham Kelly
League Preview: Wexford Youths -v- Finn Harps
- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Apr 29 2016
WEXFORD YOUTHS
Wexford Youths welcome Finn Harps to Ferrycarrig Park for the first meeting between last year's promoted sides on Friday night (kick-off 8pm).
Last season's First Division champions have underperformed in relation to the team they finished ahead of, managing just five points so far to Harps' ten from the opening nine fixtures.
Harps have adapted better to the results business of Premier Division football, but Youths boss Shane Keegan has been impressed by his side's performances this season, althoguh standards have slipped in with recent back-to-back defeats to St Patrick's Athletic and Galway United.
“We were good by and large over the first seven games of the season and we've been poor in the last two,” Keegan told Extratime.ie.
“The next three games are now against teams that are in the bottom five at the moment, so that's going to be the real make and break for us.
“The squad is certainly being tested at the moment. We've been without six, and on Friday night all six would have been in the starting line-up or there and thereabouts in any given week.
“But we have enough quality there even with those injuries to put in better performances than we have in the last two weeks. It's a step up this Friday night.”
A lengthy injury list sees Lee Grace, Aidan Keenan, Peter Higgins, Craig Wall and Shane Dunne all miss out, while Danny Furlong serves the second of a two-game suspension for his red card in Inchicore.
FINN HARPS
Finn Harps will travel to Wexford in confident mood, however an injury list even more severe than their hosts will worry Ollie Horgan.
The Galway man will have to do without regulars Josh Mailey, Keith Cowan, Raymond Foy, Kevin McHugh and Richard Brush, as well as Michael Rafter and Barry Molloy.
Dave Scully is suspended after he picked up a fifth yellow card of the season in a tussle that saw Kenny Browne sent off against Cork, while Damien McNulty and Matthew Crossan will have to prove their fitness.
“Wexford have finished ahead of us in the First Division in the last four seasons and deservedly so,” Horgan told the club's website.
“They won the First Division last year with a mixture of great football with strength and speed,” he continued.
“They have added the likes of a very talented Paul Murphy and Danny Ledwith as well as Aiden Friel who was one of the best players in the First Division last year.
“We will, as always, have our work cut out to stay with Wexford.”
Referee: Graham Kelly.
MATCH STATS
The teams met four times in the First Division last season, with both teams boasting identical records: two wins apiece, one at home and one away.
The last 31 meetings between the sides have produced 81 goals – an average of 2.6 goals per game – a pattern that's likely to continue on this occasion.
The sides have only played out one scoreless draw in their competitive history, at Finn Park three years ago.
BETTING
Wexford Youths 6/5; Draw 21/10; Finn Harps 12/5.
PREDICTION
Wexford Youths 2 – 1 Finn Harps
Wexford Youths
Injured: Lee Grace, Shane Dunne, Aidan Keenan, Peter Higgins, Craig Wall.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Danny Furlong.
Finn Harps
Injured: Barry Molloy (hamstring), Josh Mailey (groin), Keith Cowan (groin), Kevin McHugh (groin), Richard Brush (groin), Raymond Foy (hamstring), Michael Rafter (ankle).
Doubtful: Damien McNulty, Matthew Crossan.
Suspended: None.