WEEKENDER: APRIL 25

WKNDR

BETTING COLUMN BY SEAMUS O’CONCHUR

Roddy Collins might be relishing the challenge at Derry City, but the signs are that his Foyleside misadventure might not have too much longer to run. Claiming he can only work with the players he has, fan sentiment is worsening by the week and UCD are well capable of piling further misery on the Candystripe nation.

At 7/1 against a team who (despite not conceding many) cannot buy a decent result, College simply have to be backed in this spot.They are a team, not a million miles removed from our own, who you are more confident backing on the road than you are entrusting them with your money when they are at home.

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Looking across the fixture list this weekend in fact, it is tempting to get with some more of the dogs. Drogheda at 5/1 at home, Bray at 13/2 at home to Dundalk, Limerick 15/2 at home. These are some of the carrots being dangled in front of punters tonight, in a league where we are reminded almost on a weekly basis that the odds-on shots just aren’t to be trusted, even more so away from home.

Seeing a fairly lethargic Sligo outfit being gifted three points by Bohs last weekend, would you back them at 8/15 at Limerick, a competent, physically fit team? Would you back Dundalk away from home at 1/2 at Bray? We cannot bring ourselves to trust either of those sides, and for that reason we recommend backing the draw in both of these games. Dundalk in particular, are not considered a worthy 1/2 favourite as a road team by any rating system.

While we are on the topic of dogs, how often do we see 28/1 shots? That’s the price Athlone are to take three points from Richmond Park. Athlone had no substitute goalkeeper on the bench recently and are still stuck on a bagel at the foot of the league table. Still though, football throws up strange results, particularly in this league. Again it’s hard to rule out the draw at a tasty 7/1.

To finish on our own game in Cork, conventional wisdom says that we have no chance of coming home with anything. Sitting pretty at the top of the league and drawing large crowds, it’ll surely be a backs against the wall job down there. The best goal difference in the league means that they lead Dundalk at the top, despite having played a game less. With some of the same players we have playing for us at the moment, we have proven over the years that we can pull off results away from home against superior opposition. We can’t be written off but the bet to consider is the half time draw at 6/5.

Recommended:
UCD, 1pt 7/1 (Bet365)
Bray-Dundalk, 1pt draw 10/3 (Boyles)
Limerick-Sligo, 1pt draw, 3/1 (Boyles)
Cork-Bohs half time draw, 1pt 6/5 (Bet365)

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