Preview: Bohemians vs. Drogheda United - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors are currently eighth in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, while Bohemians occupy seventh position, three points above their opponents in this match.

Match preview

Bohemians will enter Friday's fixture off the back of a 3-0 defeat at St Patrick's Athletic on Monday, with the result leaving them in seventh spot in the table, 12 points above ninth-placed Finn Harps.

Bohs have won five, drawn seven and lost five of their 17 league matches this season to collect 22 points, and they are only two points behind five-placed Sligo Rovers with a game in hand.

Keith Long's side have won three, drawn three and lost two of their eight home league games this term, meanwhile, and will be taking on a Drogheda outfit that have picked up just five points from their eight fixtures on their travels.

Bohemians have won the Premier Division of the League of Ireland on 11 occasions, with their last success coming in 2009, but they finished fifth last term and have found it difficult to show consistency this term, failing to record back-to-back victories during the current campaign.

Drogheda, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of successive victories over Finn Harps and Shamrock Rovers, which have helped them move nine points clear of ninth-placed Finn Harps.

A first-half effort from Ryan Brennan saw them record a 1-0 win over Shamrock Rovers on Monday, and the back-to-back successes followed four straight defeats for the Claret and Blues.

Kevin Doherty's side, who finished seventh in Ireland's top four last season, will have a relatively long break after this fixture, with their next game not coming until June 10, at home to UCD.

Drogheda, who won the Premier Division of the League of Ireland back in 2007 before finishing second in 2012, played out a 1-1 draw with Bohemians when the pair locked horns towards the start of April.

Bohemians ran out 2-1 winners when the sides last met at Dalymount Park in November 2021, though, and Drogheda have not won away to their opponents here since June 2015.

Bohemians League of Ireland Premier form:

Drogheda United League of Ireland Premier form:

Team News

Bohemians will again be missing Stephen Mallon for this match due to an ankle problem, while Kris Twardek and Grant Horton are doubts for the home side through injury.

Head coach Long is likely to make changes from the side that started the three-goal loss to St Patrick's Athletic, with Liam Burt and Jamie Mullins both pushing to come into the XI.

There are not expected to be widespread alterations, though, with Englishman Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe again set to feature in the final third of the field.

As for Drogheda, Darragh Markey remains on the sidelines with a muscular problem, while Dane Massey and Dean Williams will both need to be assessed due to recent knocks.

Dylan Grimes had to be replaced in the early stages of their win over Shamrock Rovers, so Dayle Rooney is in line for a spot in the starting XI here.

Head coach Doherty will have been pleased with what he saw from his side last time out, though, so the visitors could otherwise be unchanged, with goalscorer Brennan retaining his spot in midfield.

Bohemians possible starting lineup:

Talbot; Doherty, Kelly, Murphy, Wilson; Flores, Mullins, Devoy; Burt, Omochere, Ogedi-Uzokwe

Drogheda United possible starting lineup:

Long; Cowan, Massey, Weir, Poynton; Brennan, Deegan, Clarke, Rooney, Heeney; Lyons

We say: Bohemians 1-1 Drogheda United

Drogheda will enter this match in the better form, but they have not beaten Bohemians away from home at this level of football since June 2015, which is a difficult record to ignore. The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture just last month, and we can see the same scoreline occurring on Friday night.

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