- St Pat's form is inconsistent - W3, D3 & L4 in their last 10 in all competitions.
- Drogheda United are equally inconsistent - W3, D2, L5 in their last 10 in all competitions.
- The home team has won 2 and lost 2 of their last four at home.
Style clash at Richmond Park
St Patrick's Athletic will try to take the game to Drogheda United on Friday night in the latest chapter of a classic clash of styles which has been played out between these two clubs for decades. Kevin Doherty's men will sit deep, defend in numbers, be very compact, and look to spring a quick counter-attack when possible. In contrast, Stephen Kenny's side will seek to play with the ball, build from the back and press high to try and turn over the opposition in this St Patrick's Athletic vs Drogheda United prediction.
Drogheda United come into this game on the back of two consecutive draws, which shows they are not easily beaten even though they are struggling in the standings. A 2-1 defeat away to Waterford FC was followed by a 1-1 home draw with Dundalk and then a thrilling 3-3 draw at home with Waterford FC last week, but the St Patrick's Athletic vs Drogheda United preview points to a tightly contested match once again.
St Patrick's form is equally as inconsistent with 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats in their last five. They have played 3 times in the last 2 weeks with the results showing a 0-1 home defeat to Shelbourne, 0-0 away to Derry City and a 1-0 away defeat to Shamrock Rovers. Nevertheless, our St Patrick's Athletic vs Drogheda United prediction suggests another unpredictable night is in store.
Drogheda can get on the scoresheet
Drogheda United will be very happy to sit deep and try and frustrate the hosts with their directness and direct style of play. Kevin Doherty has had to be pragmatic since taking over as manager of the Drogs in December 2021 and his side focuses on tactical pragmatism and defensive compactness, but they are usually tough to beat and very tough to break down when they defend in a compact formation.
However, St Patrick's Athletic will be the most likely winners here given their home-field advantage and the fact that they have the better players and more tactical flexibility. Kenny's team like to play with the ball and press at a high tempo, they are very comfortable with the ball in wide areas and like to use their mobile inside forwards and overlapping full backs to create overloading situations and sustained periods of pressure.
St Patricks have scored 1.75 goals and conceded 1.00 goals per game at home this season while Drogheda have scored 1.75 goals per away game, so we can expect both teams to score and plenty of attacking action on Friday.
The odds for Both Teams to Score - Yes at 2.15 is a little low, but there's value to be found in Over 2.5 goals at 1.82, although our preferred selection will be St Patricks to win and BTTS in the main selection. Mark Doyle is Drogheda United's main attacking threat with eight goals in Premier Division 2026 (18 games). For those looking beyond the scoreline, this is also a great moment to check our St Patrick's Athletic vs Drogheda United prediction for further insight.
