St Patrick’s Athletic eye top spot by extending unbeaten run

St Patrick’s Athletic host Sligo Rovers at Richmond Park tonight, with their respective starts to the season poles apart.

With five wins from an unbeaten run of six games, and just one defeat from eight in total, second-placed St Patrick’s are the league’s leading scorers with 14 goals. A sixth win of the campaign tonight, or possibly a draw, would put Stephen Kenny’s side top of the Premier Division table should leaders Bohemians slip up at Drogheda United.

“We’ve got to be at our best and play to the level we can and have that positive form at Richmond Park that we’ve shown this season,” said manager Kenny, who has Anto Breslin, Jamie Lennon and Chris Forrester again available.

Conversely, Sligo, while competitive in most games save for a 4-0 home defeat to Bohemians, sit second bottom on the back of three successive defeats.

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John Russell’s side’s issue is hiding in plain sight, as they have managed just three goals in their eight games.

The Sligo head coach lost out on signing a striker in the international window as he continues a search for a replacement for Owen Elding, last season’s 12-goal top scorer.

“The last two performances against Dundalk and Shels, we didn’t get what we deserved,” said Russell of marginal 1-0 defeats. “But there was a lot of good stuff in that; we just need to put the ball in the back of the net now.”

It’s been almost three years since Sligo won at Richmond Park courtesy of a goal from New Zealand international Max Mata, who could be set for his first start for new club St Patrick’s.

A 4-1 win away to Drogheda United on the final day last season clinched fourth place for Bohemians and a Uefa Conference League ticket this summer.

“Our last trip up there was a brilliant night, but we’ve had our fair share of pain up there as well,” said head coach Alan Reynolds of his unbeaten leaders’ first trip to United Park this year.

“That win on the last day of the season was one of the most memorable days I’ve had as manager here,” added Reynolds, who must watch from the stand having received a three-match suspension for an incident on the pitch ahead of the recent 0-0 draw at Shelbourne.

Bohemians manager Alan Reynolds is not underestimating Drogheda United. Photograph: Inpho

Before their last meeting, Drogheda had beaten Bohemians in four successive league games, with Kevin Doherty eager to build on draws with Shamrock Rovers and Derry City in their last two outings. Head coach Doherty insists the incentive is for his side to win and not about inflicting a first defeat on Bohemians.

Champions Shamrock Rovers travel to winless bottom side Waterford, with captain Roberto Lopes unlikely to feature having played for Cape Verde in New Zealand on Monday.

Beaten just once, sitting fifth in the table, head coach Ciaran Kilduff said he is happy with how his newly promoted Dundalk side has performed in advance of the trip to Shelbourne.

“We’re going up against a really tough team in a very difficult fixture and a tough place to go, but we’ll have no fear, as always,” said Kilduff.

In expectation of their largest crowd of the season so far, Galway United host Derry City, striving for further home comfort, which has brought them seven of their eight points to date.

Surrendering a 2-0 lead at home to Drogheda United last time out means Derry are without a victory in four games as the preseason title pretenders continue to labour to ignite their campaign.