League of Ireland Premier Division full-time scores:
Shelbourne 3 Waterford 1 (Boyd 40, 80 pen, Burt 84; Amond 37 pen)
St Patrick’s Athletic 2 Galway United 1 (Keena 32, 68; McCarthy 50)
Drogheda United 0 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Watts 84)
Dundalk 0 Derry City 2 (Whelan 16, Patching 77 pen)
League table:
Shelbourne 57 (11 GD)
Derry City 55 (19 GD)
Shamrock Rovers 55 (13 GD)
St Patrick’s Athletic 53 (11 GD)
Galway United 50 (4 GD)
Damien Duff on Virgin Media: “Brilliant character, got back in the game with elite mentality, proper men tonight, they stood up. It was a bit industrious first half. I’m a big fan of emotion, it’s a fine line. But you need to be calm too. Before the game, we did some breathing. Keep calm, get three points, win the game.”
That’s all from me, good night!
Full-time: Shelbourne 3 Waterford 1
Big win for Shelbourne and a good performance, still on top of the table with two games to go. So all the favourites won, but it was the hard way for Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers. It is all to play for, but maybe the biggest goal of the night was that screamer by Watts. With Dundalk and Waterford left to play, Rovers will fancy getting six points and posting 61 points. With Derry to play St Pat’s and then Shelbourne, it could be tough to beat that total for the other leading teams.
Gavin Cummiskey’s report to come...
Almost a fourth for Shelbourne. Harry Wood with a sweetly hit shot from outside the box crashes against the post.
Big Goal for Shamrock Rovers too! Watts with a superb shot to keep the pressure on, screamer!
Wow save of the season from Kearns! Powerful low shot from McMenamy and Kearns sticks out a foot, brilliant reflexes!
Then Goal for Shelbourne! Tolka goes wild! What a couple of minutes for Shels. Great dribble then shot from outside the box. Sargeant gets a hand to it but can’t keep it out.
Penalty for Shelbourne! Wilson comes flying in for a loose ball in the box and Pattisson swipes and gives away a penalty.
Goal for Shelbourne! Off the crossbar and in, Boyd with the goal on 80 minutes.
Goal for Derry City! Will Patching scores a penalty, that should be that in that one. Dundalk will be relegated, Derry right where they want to be (although with two tough games left against St Pat’s and Shels)
Goal for St Pat’s! It’s another for Keena. In-form St Pat’s back in front.
Could it be another night of relative parity in a season with an incredible amount of draws? Three of the matches are a draw with about 20 minutes left.
A close call by St Pat’s to retake the lead:
Goal for Galway United! Ed McCarthy with a big goal for Galway and a significant blow for Pat’s. Brilliant goal
Second halfs under way as Shelbourne start the half on the attack. No further goal updates for now.
It’s half-time at Tolka Park. A good performance by Shelbourne, lacking a bit of a finishing touch, and a soft penalty to give away mean the score is level. All to play for second half. Shamrock Rovers still yet to a breakthrough, while Derry and Pat’s lead crucial games.
After a cagey start across the matches, it’s all happening now! Shelbourne back level with Derry, St Pat’s on course to continue their winning streak.
Goal for Shelbourne! Immediate response from Shelbourne, Sean Boyd hassles the defender and wins it then coolly slots it past the keeper. Back level, 1-1.
Goal for Waterford! Messy tackle by Martin, penalty won by Horton. Amond sticks it low in the corner to give them the lead. Worrying times for Shelbourne.
Goal for St Pat’s! 32′ Forrester picks out Keena who makes space for himself and hammers home. 1-0 Saints
Another chance for Coote, worked well squared to him on the edge of the box but poor attempt and doesn’t threaten the goal.
Brighter spell by Shelbourne as Ali Coote gets a shot away but straight at the keeper. Almost 30 minutes gone.
Goal for Derry City! Colm Whelan on target at Oriel Park. That puts Derry City top of the table on goal difference as it stands on 55 points.
Derry City 55 (18 GD)
A cagey start in Tolka and Richmond Parks. No big chance of note for Shels or Waterford so far.
The table as it stands, with no goals yet in the first seven minutes.
The teams are heading out on the pitch at Tolka Park. Here are some of the other line-ups:
The teams at Tolka Park:
Shelbourne: Kearns, Gannon, Barrett, Ladwinge, Wilson, Coote, Coyle (capt), Caffrey, Tulloch, Boyd, Martin
Waterford: Sargeant, Power, Burke, Horton, McCormack, Baggley (capt), Amond, Leahy, Pattisson, McMenamy, Flynn
Gavin Cummiskey’s scene setter here:
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the League of Ireland Premier Division, in what is one of the most exciting title run-in in many years. Shelbourne lead the table on 54 points with three games left, two points ahead of Derry City and Shamrock Rovers. St Patrick’s Athletic and Galway United aren’t out of it either on 50 points, four points behind, and they play each other at Richmond Park. St Pat’s under Stephen Kenny are the form team in the league and have dreams of winning an unlikely title. Shamrock Rovers are the favourites though for a fifth title in a row, and will expect to beat Drogheda United, as will Derry City against basement club Dundalk. But it is Shelbourne that have the advantage, despite their dire form, after a tough run of fixtures, victory against Waterford is crucial.
“Virgin Media will provide split-screen updates from Tolka to Oriel Park as Derry’s uglier freefall, one win from nine, possibly slams into a Dundalk miracle. Or maybe Higgins’s men will hang on and take the title with the lowest ever points total of 58, by winning two of their last three ties,” writes Gavin Cummiskey.
The games tonight:
