St Patrick's Athletic vs Derry City - prediction, team news, lineups

Failure to bushed visitors Derry City astatine Richmond Park connected Sunday would leave St Patrick's Athletic's complaint for the League of Ireland rubric astatine superior risk.

The second-placed hosts are the closest challengers to first-placed Shamrock Rovers, but their points haul of 43 means they way the league leaders by 7 points, portion sixth-placed Derry City person 29 points aft 25 matchweeks.

Match preview

St Patrick's Athletic person 11 games to overtake Shamrock Rovers if they are to assertion their archetypal league rubric 13 seasons, but they could find themselves trailing by 10 points by the extremity of matchweek 26.

Saints were past successful enactment connected July 24, erstwhile they were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Dundalk, and isolated from a little spell conscionable earlier the hr mark, Sunday's hosts created sparingly small successful the last third.

The hosts person present dropped 7 points successful their past 4 top-flight fixtures, conceding arsenic galore goals successful that clip (four) arsenic they had successful their anterior 7 league games.

St Patrick's Athletic person besides struggled successful onslaught successful caller weeks considering they person netted 1 oregon less goals successful six of their past 9 League of Ireland matches.

Boss Stephen Kenny's broadside whitethorn lone person taken a constituent against Dundalk, but that was the archetypal clip they were prevented from winning astatine location successful 5 clashes, and a triumph connected the play would beryllium their 11th occurrence astatine Richmond Park successful 15 contests astatine the stadium.

Derry City volition beryllium looking implicit their shoulders, arsenic portion they are 7 points up of ninth-placed Waterford FC successful the relegation playoff spot, that spread could shrink to 4 points by the extremity of the weekend.

The visitors whitethorn beryllium astatine a flimsy disadvantage heading into their adjacent fixture fixed they were successful European enactment connected Thursday, erstwhile they mislaid 1-0 to Rijeka - 2-0 connected aggregate - and exited the Conference League qualifiers.

The Candystripes' wide signifier is concerning - they person mislaid 4 of their 5 astir caller fixtures - but each 4 losses came successful either the Europa League oregon Conference League.

However, Derry person inactive lone won 1 of their past 4 top-flight matches (one win, 1 draw, 2 losses), and they scored six goals portion conceding 7 times successful that period.

Head manager Tiernan Lynch volition anticipation to extremity his side's winless streak of 8 games connected the road, but a decision would beryllium his team's sixth successful 9 distant fixtures.

Derry City settled for 2 goalless stalemates successful their encounters with St Patrick's Athletic this season, and the 2 clubs person successful information drawn each of their past 3 meetings.

St Patrick's Athletic League of Ireland Premier form:

St Patrick's Athletic signifier (all competitions):

Derry City League of Ireland Premier form:

Derry City signifier (all competitions):

Team News

St Patrick's Athletic centre-back Sean Hoare scored his side's lone extremity against Dundalk, and his spot successful the XI is certain.

The defender could beryllium partnered by Joe Redmond and Luke Turner successful a three-man backline, and the trio volition apt beryllium positioned down midfielders Jamie Lennon and Barry Baggley.

Ryan Edmondson and Aidan Keena were not peculiarly effectual past clip out, and if they conflict erstwhile again, possibly Sam Rooney volition beryllium brought on.

Derry could look to usage wingers James McClean and Michael Duffy down centre-forward Liam Boyce, who has scored 2 goals successful his past six matches.

The attackers volition request enactment from midfielders specified as James Olayinka and Adam O'Reilly, but those 2 volition besides request to shield centre-backs Patrick McClean and Conor Barr from counter-attacks.

St Patrick's Athletic imaginable starting lineup:

Anang; Redmond, Hoare, Turner; Brown, Lennon, Baggley, Breslin; Leavy; Edmondson, Keena

Derry City imaginable starting lineup:

Maher; Cotter, Barr, P McClean, Fleming; O'Reilly, Dummigan, Olayinka; J McClean, Boyce, Duffy

We say: St Patrick's Athletic 2-0 Derry City

St Patrick's Athletic volition rightly beryllium seen arsenic favourites, particularly aft Derry's taxing European conflict connected Thursday.

The visitors besides person an alarmingly mediocre grounds distant from home, truthful it would beryllium astonishing if the hosts failed to assertion 3 points.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.