Cut adrift at the foot of the League of Ireland Premier Division table, University College Dublin will go in search of just a third league win of the season on Friday, when they travel to take on Bohemians.
After 24 matches, the visitors have just nine points, 14 behind ninth-placed Cork City and 19 adrift of automatic safety, while their visitors currently occupy fourth spot, four points behind second-placed St Patrick's Athletic and third-placed Derry City with a game in hand on both.
Match preview
After a sixth-placed finish in the League of Ireland Premier Division last season, Bohemians enjoyed an eye-catching start to the new term, sitting at the summit of the table until early May as they won seven of their opening eight outings and sat on 31 points after 14 matches.
Declan Devine's men have been unable to continue that form in recent months, though, gradually dropping down the Irish top flight having struggled to stay consistent, with the nine matches after their strong start producing just one further victory and seven points between the start of May and the end of June, culminating in a 3-1 loss away at Sligo Rovers.
The Bohs would then host Dundalk and succeed in making a return to winning ways in an eventful contest, having gone ahead through James McManus and then called 2-1 behind, before turning the game on its head again in the final 10 minutes as John O'Sullivan drew them level and Jonathan Afolabi netted the decisive goal soon after.
Devine's men then travelled to Shelbourne and again trailed with 10 minutes to go, only to again earn a result through Afolabi, as he netted the leveller in a 1-1 draw, before they most recently hosted the same opposition in the FAI Cup first round last Friday.
It was again Afolabi who provided for his side in that meeting, as his first-half goal made the difference and booked Bohemians' second-round place, and still sitting in a relatively strong position thanks to their strong start, with second-placed St Patrick's Athletic and third-placed Derry City just four points ahead having played a game more, the hosts will be keen to strengthen their bid to climb back into the op three with another triumph on Friday.
They will certainly fancy their chances, with the visiting side having managed just nine points from their 24 league games so far this season.
After only surviving the drop last season with a 1-0 victory over Waterford in the relegation playoff, it has certainly been a dismal campaign for University College Dublin, who have remained rooted to the foot of the division throughout, having managed just two victories along the way.
Following eight straight league defeats between early May and early June, leaving the Students on six points from 20 outings, they would record the more recent of their two triumphs at home to Sligo Rovers, coming from behind to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Sami Clarke and Jake Doyle, but they now head into Friday's match on the back of three more consecutive league defeats, firstly being thrashed 7-0 by St Patrick's Athletic.
Andrew Myler's team then hosted Shelbourne and suffered a 4-0 defeat, before their most recent league outing ended in a 3-1 loss at home to Drogheda United, in which Danu Kinsella-Bishop's 83rd-minute goal was not enough to spark a comeback after Ryan Brennan, Conor Keeley and Adam Foley had established a 3-0 lead for the visitors.
Now finding themselves on the back of a 3-2 victory over Cobh Ramblers in the FAI Cup first round, thanks to finishes from Jack Keaney and Daniel Norris alongside a Breandan Frahill own goal, the Students will hope to take some confidence and will fight to correct their form in the League of Ireland Premier Division, starting with what would be an eye-catching away triumph.
Team News
Bohemians' attack will again be led by Jonathan Afolabi, who heads into Friday's game full of confidence, having netted decisive goals in each of their last three outings, taking his tally to seven for the season including six in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
They could deploy an unchanged starting XI from the league win over Dundalk earlier in July, with Dylan Connolly, Adam McDonnell and Declan McDaid likely supporting the frontman in a 4-2-3-1 setup.
Jordan Flores is another important man going forward, having chipped in with five goals and two assists in 19 league appearances this term, and he should again be joined in the engine room by James McManus, who also got among the goals in the Dundalk triumph.
University College Dublin should call on Danu Kinsella-Bishop to come back in and lead the line from the outset on Friday, after he netted his fourth league goal of the season off the bench in their defeat to Drogheda United.
He will likely join Jake Doyle up front in a conservative 5-3-2 shape, while Brendan Barr and Ciaran Behan will both hope to return to the midfield having also dropped to the bench last time out, after being relative mainstays throughout the campaign thus far.
Jack Keaney is a key man at the heart of the defence and should be joined by Eanna Clancy and Michael Gallagher, in front of 20-year-old goalkeeper Kian Moore.
Bohemians possible starting lineup:
Talbot; Buckley, Nowak, Radkowski, Kirk; Flores, McManus; Connolly, McDonnell, McDaid; Afolabi
University College Dublin possible starting lineup:
Moore; Babb, Clancy, Keaney, Gallagher, Dempsey; Barr, Wells, Behan; Doyle, Kinsella-Bishop
We say: Bohemians 3-1 University College Dublin
Bohemians are not at their best in recent months after their strong start to the campaign, while University College Dublin may take some confidence from their recent cup victory, but we still see the hosts being far too strong for a Students side who have managed just nine points all season.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
