Its Matchday 2 in the League Of Ireland and Waterford FC host reigning champions Shelbourne for our first home fixture of the season.
Opening Night Excitement
Both Waterford and Shelbourne came out of Matchday 1 victorious, beating Sligo and Derry City respectively, With both of tomorrows sides being on top for majority of the game, and coming away as 2 of the 3 winners from last weekend.
Team News
Waterford fall short, With Trae Coyle out for a reported Cruciate Ligament Injury, expected to be out for quite some time, former Shels man Matty Smith is carrying a knock and is expected out for a couple of weeks, James Olayinka has sustained a rare eye infection and is also expected out, Ben McCormack, Grant Horton and Rowan McDonald all miss after suffering a knock against Sligo causing them to be substituted mid match, leaving them out. Navajo Bakboord is also a doubt. Shels do not seem to have any injured players and are expected to field a full strength squad.
Past Run Ins
In the past Shelbourne have been the more successful team in our fixtures, Winning 17 of our last 30 matches and winning 4 out of 5 times in our last 5, with one draw on opening night last year. Waterford fans are all too familiar with heartbreak against Shels, especially in our last head to head in the cup, losing 1-0 in 2022, with Gavin Molloys 21st minute goal separating the teams in a fixture with an attendance of over 8,000.
Fan Forum Info
Waterford FC held a fan forum on February 20th with both the backroom staff/players and the board speaking, here is some of the highlights of the night, with a full piece coming soon. The on field group were on stage first with Keith Long, Matt Cradock, Brian Murphy, Trae Coyle and Ben McCormack speaking. Following Stephen Bradleys outrage with the FAI, Keith Long also agreed with him. Keith also gave his input on matchday build up, showing great appreciation to the fans creating a fierce atmosphere. Moving over to off the pitch staff, Many interesting things were mentioned by Jamie Pilley, Richy Walsh and Steve Curwood. There is interest in upgrading the RSC in terms of removing the running track, a new PA system has been installed, kindly funded by Martin Colbert of Norrises Bar, or Blues HQ. As was shared in the off season, the club are advancing in the replacement of our current crest which was introduced when Lee Power took over the club back in 2017. Many more important things were mentioned such as how Ben McCormack likes his 99 cones. All in all, the club seems to be on a very strong path.
Predictions
Although both teams were successful on Night 1, I just feel Shels will overpower us and come away victorious in a 2-0 scoreline.
Chat to you soon
Conor (mon blues)