Treaty Face Wexford FC in Last Game of Regular Season

Treaty United will play their last game of the regular Airtricity League season when they entertain Wexford FC at the Markets Field on Friday night (7.45). The Limerick side have already ensured their place in this season’s promotion/relegation play-off series with Friday night’s opponents being their main challengers for the majority of the campign.

One place and 6 points separates 5th place Treaty and Wexford, and the home side will find out whether it’s Galway or Waterford that they face in next week’s two-legged play-off. Waterford are in the driving seat to finish second and host Athlone Town while Galway host possible play-off opposition in Longford and have to hope that the Suirsiders slip up in order to finish second with 2 points separating them.

Tommy Barrett will be expected to make a host of changes to his team following the exertions of last weekend’s FAI Cup semi-final defeat to Derry City. Derry raced into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes through goals from Jamie McGonigle and Brandon Kavanagh and the large cohort of Treaty supporters may have feared the worst at that stage. However, Jack Lynch was fouled by Cameron Dummigan and a penalty was awarded. Enda Curran scored the spot-kick, and a resilient rear-guard effort ensured no change to the score-line for the remainder of the game.

With the play-off games looming, it is expected that the likes of Enda Curran, Marc Ludden, Jack Lynch and Jack Brady will sit out the game on Friday which is of little consequence although Treaty will be looking to finish their home campaign with a victory. Fringe players Martin Coughlan, Colin Conroy, Matt Keane and Darren Collins will all be hoping for a start to challenge for a place in the play-off series. Success Edogun is expected to return following a family bereavement and will also be desperate for a start. The game comes too soon for Dean George.

In the three previous meetings between Treaty and Wexford, Treaty have come out on top twice with the most recent meeting ending in a 1-1 draw at Ferrycarrig Park with George scoring a superb goal to give Barrett’s side the lead before an own goal ensured a share of the spoils. The Limerick side enjoyed a 1-5 win over the South-East outfit on the opening night of the season and in the only meeting at the Markets Field, a late penalty won by Willie Armshaw and converted by Steven Christopher allowed Treaty to continue their recent dominance over Friday’s opponents.

To watch the full episode of this week’s ‘Soccer Scene,’ see below. We discussed the defeat to Derry, the league campaign as a whole and the game with Wexford.