Bray Wanderers v UCD – Carlisle Grounds (Kick off 7:45)
Pat Devlin has warned his Bray Wanderers’ side against complacency as the Seagulls set their sights on promotion ahead of the season opener against relegated UCD.
Devlin’s Wanderers were one of the best sides in the Division last season only to miss out on promotion narrowly on the final day to Dublin City before being knocked out of the play-offs by Finn Harps.
But with three teams to win automatic promotion this season, Bray are seen as one of the odds on favourites to return to the Premier Division though Devlin has insisted that no one at Bray will be thinking like that.
“We won’t be complacent. We can’t afford to be because there are too many good teams in the Division,” he said. “Anyone who can get a string of wins is in with a chance.”
Devlin is likely to award debuts to Gerry Quinn and Kevin Grogan though striking pair, Stephen Fox and John Flood, are both ruled out with groin problems. Also out are the suspended Eddie Gormley, Keith Long and Colm James.
UCD lost ten players during the close season following relegation and manager Pete Mahon believes that the students will not be challenging for promotion this season.
“We won’t have our full compliment of players until June when the scholarship boys come in and then we have to integrate them,” he said.
“It would be unrealistic for us to aim for promotion this season. We’ve lost a lot of players and other clubs have strengthened. There is also the knock that relegation is. I’ve seen plenty of First Division games and they are a lot more physical than Premier Division games and we’ll have to learn to cope with that.
“We’ll have no problem in terms of ability though I do think we will struggle physically for a while. So I won’t be getting hung up on promotion because I think it’s unrealistic this season and we’ve got to be realistic. We’re a year to 18 months away from being ready.”
Mahon has no suspension or injury problems and will give Willie Doyle and Conor Kenna debuts at the Carlisle Grounds.
Interesting - surely the scholarship lads are already in? The likes of Quigley, Gannon, Foley, Kenna, Doyle, etc.?Originally posted by Roo69
“We won’t have our full compliment of players until June when the scholarship boys come in and then we have to integrate them,” he said.
Aul Pete seems to be far too pessimistic lately - sure we all know this game will be a dull low-scoring draw like the last 37 times!
More to come - those who are still playing schoolboy football have to finish out their season
Not to mention those sitting the leaving cert.
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