After the international break, League of Ireland football finally returns to action tonight. Just like in the Premier Division, four of the five First Division encounters will be played this Friday. One game, Cobh’s visit at Longford, will be held on Saturday evening.
Athlone Town vs Kerry FC
At the start of the week, bottom-placed club Athlone announced Ian Ryan as their new manager. The former Wexford and Bray Wanderers boss takes over from a group of interim coaches who guided the team after the departure of Dário Castelo two months ago. Against an in-form Kerry side, Ryan will be hoping for a positive debut after his squad recently lost three games in a row.
Prediction Athlone Town 1 Kerry FC 2
Dundalk vs UCD
Before the international break, the Lilywhites celebrated three wins and solidified their position as the league leaders. However, Dundalk shouldn’t underestimate the Students, who, after some choppy performances, bounced back by beating Finn Harps 2-1 and Athlone Town 2-0. As a result, UCD made a leap to fifth place in the table, finding themselves in the middle of the playoff battle.
Prediction Dundalk 2 UCD 0
Finn Harps vs Wexford
The pressure is high for the hosts, who are without a win in seven games. During that time span, the Harps were only able to collect two draws. On the other side, Wexford wants to show a reaction after their unfortunate 2-3 loss against table-toppers Dundalk two weeks ago.
Prediction Finn Harps 1 Wexford 1
Treaty United vs Bray Wanderers
The teams might be close to each other in the table. However, there is already a ten-point gap between the third-placed Seagulls and the fourth-placed Limerick side. The visitors are favoured, but Treaty have, especially in the Markets Field, produced some decent performances in the course of this season. Surely, the Shannonsiders will be out for a positive result tonight against the Wanderers.
Prediction Treaty United 2 Bray Wanderers 2
Longford Town vs Cobh Ramblers (Saturday night)
Sometimes, the numbers just speak for themselves. With 31 goals scored, the Rams have the most explosive offence in the First Division. On the other side, Longford have conceded 33 goals, meaning that the Midlanders have the worst defence in the league. It would be a surprise if the second-placed Ramblers failed in their mission to claim all three points at Bishopsgate.
Prediction Longford Town 1 Cobh Ramblers 2