Matchday 22 of the League of Ireland Premier Division gets underway this week. On Friday, struggling Drogheda United welcome high-flying Dundalk to United Park.
Drogheda United find themselves third from bottom in the table – ten points clear of second-bottom Finn Harps and 13 points ahead of last-place UCD.
📺 𝗗𝗙𝗖𝗧𝗩 || 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 🏁 Highlights from our 3-0 win over UCD at Oriel Park.🛁 In association with @deluxebathroom pic.twitter.com/uTMQrrPguF— Dundalk FC (@DundalkFC) July 2, 2022
📺 𝗗𝗙𝗖𝗧𝗩 || 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 🏁 Highlights from our 3-0 win over UCD at Oriel Park.🛁 In association with @deluxebathroom pic.twitter.com/uTMQrrPguF
Meanwhile, Dundalk sit second – one point clear of third-place Derry City and ten points behind first-place Shamrock Rovers.
Drogheda have only managed to win five of their 21 league games this season, registering seven draws and nine defeats in the process.
Not only do they have the third-worst defensive record in the division, but they also have the fourth-worst offensive record.
Following last weekend’s 3-0 loss to St. Patrick’s, Drogheda head into Friday’s clash on a four-game winless run.
When you look at the bigger picture, Drogheda have managed to win just two of their last 11 matches – losing five of their previous ten.
As for Dundalk, they have only lost two of their 21 league outings this term – securing 11 wins and eight draws along the way.
No team has suffered fewer defeats than Dundalk this season, while no side has recorded more draws. Only first-place Shamrock Rovers have claimed more wins.
Dundalk boast the joint-best defensive record in the division, having conceded only 14 goals in 21 matches.
Better still, Dundalk are enjoying a ten-game unbeaten streak in the league – with eight wins and two draws coming since their last loss.
It is also worth noting that Dundalk have kept five straight clean sheets in the league, scoring six goals during that period.
Head-to-head: When these two sides met in April, Dundalk claimed a 4-1 victory over Drogheda on home soil.
Dundalk have won four of their previous six league meetings with Drogheda, keeping two clean sheets along the way.
Team news: Drogheda will be without the injured Darragh Markey on Friday as he continues to recover from a metatarsal fracture.
Dundalk also have one injury absentee at the moment, with John Mountney sidelined due to a cruciate ligament problem.
Naturally, Drogheda will attempt to rise to the occasion of the Louth Derby. But there is no hiding the fact that Dundalk lead their rivals by a whopping 19 points.
Forebet predicts that in-form Dundalk will score over 1.5 goals and keep a clean sheet on their way to defeating lowly Drogheda.