St. Patrick’s Athletic vs Derry City Preview
There’s a lot on the line in the League of Ireland Premier Division this weekend. Derry City will travel south on Friday, 17 May 2024. They’ll play St. Patrick’s Athletic at 7.45 pm in Richmond Park in a big game for both teams.
Derry currently occupies the second place in the league table. They’re sitting one point behind Shelbourne and believe they can overtake them with a win over the Pats. Meanwhile, The Saints are currently hunting for a new manager. They’re unpredictable and this makes them very dangerous for title-chasing Derry. The Candystripes are the favourites in this soccer game, but they know that St Pat’s will work hard. They must be at their best to go home with a valuable win.
St. Patrick’s Athletic vs Derry City Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Derry has enjoyed playing St. Patrick’s Athletic in recent times. They’ve won three of their past five meetings with only one defeat. Their last clash was in April 2024. Derry won 3-1 at the Brandywell in a very efficient performance.
The statistics suggest The Saints dominated this game. They enjoyed 67% of possession and had 15 shots on target to Derry’s 5. Danny Mullen ensured Derry went in ahead at the break. He scored after just 16 minutes to give the Candystripes the lead.
There were three goals after halftime. First, Patrick Hoban gave Derry a two-goal cushion. Conor Keeley responded quickly in the 54th minute to keep St. Pat’s in the game. But any hopes of a comeback went out of the window when Mullen scored his second just two minutes later.
St. Pats enter this game off a morale-boosting draw with Shamrock Rovers. Aaron Greene guided Rovers into a 1-0 lead inside five minutes. The home side had several good chances with Danny Rogers making multiple outstanding saves. Then St. Pats shocked their Dublin rivals by equalising in the 23rd minute.
Shamrock Rovers came out blazing in the second half. Daniel Cleary broke the deadlock with half an hour left. But the Hoops couldn’t hold the lead as Mason Melia sealed a draw for St. Pats four minutes later. The visitors only had nine shots on target to Shamrock Rovers’ 19. They also had less possession, but they made it count.
Meanwhile, Derry is piling on the pressure on Shelbourne at the top of the table. They are in decent form and are currently unbeaten in their past five games. Their last saw them overcome Bohemians 1-0. Michael Duffy scored an important late winner for his team. Duffy came off the bench to change the game. This was a mundane affair until he livened up the action. James Akintunde missed some big chances that cost Bohs dearly.
Derry’s Pat Hoban is the key man to watch this weekend. The forward is the top scorer for anyone looking to bet on the League of Ireland Premier Division with nine goals. However, the Loughrea native hasn’t scored in their past three games and is hungry to add more to his tally.
Hoban has an outstanding pedigree with 150 goals for Dundalk. Ruaidhri Higgins earmarked him as the last piece in their jigsaw. So far, his decision is paying off because Hoban is scoring for fun in the Maiden City.
The Candystripes are finding it easy to score goals this season with 24 overall. This puts them second in the charts behind Shamrock Rovers. Meanwhile, The Saints enter this game with a -2 goal difference. Ruairi Keating and Luke Turner are their joint-top scorers with three apiece. Their problem is keeping their opponents out. This could be a big problem with one of the best strikers in the league.
There is an element of the unknown surrounding managerless St. Patrick’s Athletic. Sean O’Connor took charge of the draw with Shamrock Rovers on an interim basis. Owner Garrett Kelleher won’t hire a full-time replacement until after the Derry City game.
St. Patrick’s Athletic vs Derry City Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: St. Patrick’s Athletic 1 – 3 Derry City
We predict Derry City will overwhelm St. Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park. The Dublin team has a poor defensive record while Derry is one of the best-attacking teams in the Premier Division. This doesn’t bode well for St. Pat’s.
Patrick Hoban is one of the best League of Ireland strikers ever. The 32-year-old could provide the cutting edge for Derry. His partner Danny Mullen is also enjoying a prolific season with five goals in 13 games for the Candystripes. They’re one of the deadliest partnerships in the competition.
Derry could take a two-goal lead against St. Pats. However, the Northeners’ defensive record suggests they may concede one goal. They’re likely to wrap up the win in the second half. They also have a decent away record this season. Their only loss on the road came against Bohemians. It’s unlikely that The Saints will have the firepower or the defensive nous to keep this Derry side at bay.
Live betting is a good option for this game. If St. Patrick’s Athletic take a shock lead, it will change the markets. It would be smart to bet on Derry to win the second half because Ruaidhri Higgins will send them out firing.
St. Pat’s Athletic vs Derry City Betting Tips
The Candystripes enter this game as 5/4 favourites against St. Pats. Betting on Derry to win could be very profitable. A successful €10 stake would see returns of €22.50. This is a sizeable amount, given Derry’s quality and St. Pat’s current managerial situation. Meanwhile, The Saints are 17/8 underdogs. The same stake could net a €21.25 profit. This may tempt some punters. Betting on the League of Ireland Premier Division is exciting because it always throws up surprises.
According to our betting site, a draw is less likely than a St. Pat’s win with odds of 23/10. This means that a €10 bet would have a €23 profit. It’s not impossible given St. Pat’s recent tie with Shamrock Rovers.
Betting on soccer opens up more markets than many other sports. It might be wise to bet on both teams scoring at 21/20. Derry only has four clean sheets in their past 10 games. While they will probably win this game, they might concede a goal. Our betting site reveals there could be over 1.5 goals in this game. A €10 stake at 9/20 would see a €4.50 profit. You could go for over 3.5 goals instead. This riskier choice is 7/2 and would see returns of €45.
Goalscorer markets are always interesting. Pat Hoban is the league’s top-scorer, so many will see him as a safe bet. However, he hasn’t scored in Derry’s past couple of games. Danny Mullen is also in decent form. The Scot may offer better odds than his teammate.
New Novibet users can claim a welcome bonus after registration. Why not bet on Derry to win the League of Ireland Premier Division? They’re second-favourites to claim their first league title since 1996-97 at 11/4.
St. Patrick’s Athletic Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Sean O’Connor will select the St. Patrick’s Athletic starting eleven. He’s likely to go with the same starting line-up that snatched a point against Shamrock Rovers. Fatigue may force him to freshen things up, but he’ll avoid making unnecessary changes. Kian Leavy and Alex Nolan were two players who came off the bench against Rovers. They may have done enough to earn starts in this game.
- St Patricks Predicted Line-Up: Danny Rogers, Luke Turner, Conor Keely, Joe Redmond, Anto Breslin, Kian Leavy, Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester, Aaron Bolger, Mason Melia, Jake Mulraney.
Derry City Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Derry won’t want to take any risks against The Saints. They know that this has the potential to be an awkward game. They’re in excellent form and will play a full-strength team to keep pressure on Shelbourne. Manager Ruaidhri Higgins substituted Mark Connolly in their past two games. He may start Sam Todd at centre-back instead. Sadou Diallo and Michael Duffy also came off the bench in recent weeks. They’re pushing for a place in the starting line-up.
- Derry Predicted Line-Up: Brian Maher, Ronan Boyce, Mark Connolly, Cameron McJannet, Ciaran Coll, Adam O’Reilly, Will Patching, Ben Doherty, Paul McMullan, Daniel Kelly, Patrick Hoban.
