Soccer

League of Ireland preview: Pack closing in on Shelbourne

Damien Duff’s side are enduring a wobble and defending champions Shamrock Rovers are now within striking distance of top spot

Shelbourne’s Shane Farrell is suspended after being sent off for a second yellow card by referee Rob Hennessey during the 0-0 draw against Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Gavin Cummiskey
Fri Apr 26 2024 - 06:00

It has been a hectic week in the League of Ireland as Damien Duff lambastes his own player, Noel King returns after 21 years, and in Derry a small child runs across the Brandywell surface with a flare.

Shelbourne remain top of the Premier Division but the chasing pack have closed and either Shamrock Rovers, Derry City or even Bohemians could knock Duff’s team off their perch on Friday night.

Shels will remain the front-runners by drawing with St Patrick’s Athletic at Tolka Park but that result would stretch their winless streak to six matches, including two defeats, since they beat Dundalk on March 29th.

The Drumcondra club must do without the services of Shane Farrell as the 23-year-old winger was sent off during Monday’s 0-0 draw with Rovers for two yellow cards in a 12-minute cameo off the bench that sparked a public rebuke from his manager.

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“Shane knows he has let everyone down,” said Duff last Monday.

All was forgiven by Thursday afternoon.

“Shane is one of our own. This is his club. He needs us and we need him. I spoke to Shane, he apologised for getting sent off. That’s it done, we move on.

“Everything will be given to him on and off the pitch as always. I will continue to wait for Shane to get fit and show his wonderful ability.

“I will also continue to dedicate my life to Shane and the rest of the players. They are my family.”

Rovers fans can start talking about the five-in-a-row of titles if they beat Galway United at Tallaght Stadium, as they are three points behind Shelbourne with a game in hand. Galway come to Dublin with manager John Caulfield also confined to the stands as he serves a two-match ban.

Bohs, meanwhile, are a club revived since Alan Reynolds took the reins last month. To go top, they need to put four goals past Dundalk and hope other results fall in their favour. Victory is expected from them at Oriel Park as King begins an 18-month contract as Dundalk manager, 21 years after his last job in the league with Finn Harps.

Remarkably, King revealed this week that club owner Brian Ainscough circumnavigated the recruitment process being led by chief executive Peter Halpin to appoint him.

“I’m delighted I know him,” he said, “because if I didn’t know him, I wouldn’t get the job. That’s the reality because I’m 67.”

Dundalk are rooted to the bottom of the table with no wins from 11 matches.

Derry City go to Waterford in decent shape despite last Friday’s 3-1 loss to Rovers at the Brandywell, on a night that will be remembered for live television broadcasting a small child running on to the 3G pitch, picking up a flare that had started a fire, and sprinting the length of the stadium as people looked on.

The club has accepted the FAI’s “suspended partial stadium closure” along with two undisclosed fines for behaviour that put Rovers’ fans in danger and “the incident involving a pyrotechnic on the field of play”.

A Derry City statement noted: “The club condemns the scenes in and around the ground on Friday night and has cooperated fully with the FAI. As a result of continued antisocial behaviour, the club need to take additional measures to ensure that all supporters attending games at the Brandywell can do so safely.”

Friday night’s Premier Division fixtures (7.45 unless stated)

Drogheda v Sligo Rovers; Dundalk v Bohemians; Shelbourne v St Patrick’s Athletic; Waterford v Derry City; Shamrock Rovers v Galway, 8.0.

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent

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