- Drogheda form: Across all competitions, Drogheda United have gone unbeaten in their last five matches, drawing three.
- Saints form: St Patrick's Athletic are unbeaten in their last five (W2, D3), with the most recent win being a 1-0 victory away to Shelbourne.
- Assessment: St Patrick's Athletic are the form side and have a slight edge.
Drogheda can dig in, but Saints should be savvy enough
Drogheda United are unbeaten in their last five (W2, D3) ahead of the visit of St Patrick's Athletic on Friday, but their three draws ahead of this mid-table matchup suggest they may not have the finishing power to put away this quality opponent. Kevin Doherty has been at the helm of Drogheda United since 3 December 2021, and his team appear to be built on structure, shape and counter-punching.
They are tough to beat at home, but not so ruthless that they can consistently finish off games against the better sides in the division. Across all competitions, Drogheda United have managed just one win, three draws and one defeat in their five home games this term.
Saints will be savvy in the match
Stephen Kenny's St Pat's are playing their best football of the season at the moment, and they have just enough of an edge in form to suggest they can secure a win at Sullivan and Lambe Park. The Saints play with a 4-3-3, and they are usually set up to use the width of the pitch, quick vertical combinations and an aggressive press to force turnovers and create chances.
Their away record across all competitions of one win, one draw and two defeats from four is not an overwhelming advantage, but they should have enough to edge this matchup if the odds are on their side.
Drogheda’s structure should lead to a chess match
Form and prediction
Across all competitions, St Patrick's Athletic are on a roll with five wins, three draws and just two defeats in their last ten, while Drogheda have managed only two wins in the same games. St Patrick's Athletic's slight edge in recent form combined with the slightly shorter odds on the visitors makes them the selection here, but it should be a cagey matchup.
St Patrick's Athletic are favoured to win, but the draw looks a realistic possibility, so we're taking the both teams not to score and under 2.5 goals at 1.85 for the main selection and a one-goal Saints win or a low-scoring draw for the correct score forecast.
Key stats and players
- Saints have averaged just 0.75 goals scored and 1.25 conceded per game away across all competitions this season, so another cagey trip seems likely.
- Mark Doyle is Drogheda's top scorer in the Premier Division 2026 with nine goals in 26, so he will be the most likely finisher on Friday, while Shane Farrell has three of Drogheda's eight in their last five, so he should come into this with momentum.
