Premier Division: Derry City v Shelbourne, Brandywell, 7.45pm – Live on RTÉ2
Damien Duff will lead Shelbourne to their first Premier Division title since 2006 if they get a victory over Derry City at the Brandywell.
Derry are not lacking motivation as they will secure European football next season with three points if St Patrick’s Athletic do not beat Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
The Candystripes have a second chance at earning Uefa prize money in 2025, by overcoming Drogheda United in the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on November 10th. That would gloss over a heap of problems encountered by Ruaidhrí Higgins’s squad throughout the season.
“It’s been a mad year, a rollercoaster-type year, but we have to finish the season strong at home and then get ourselves prepared for the following week,” said Higgins. “I’ll talk about going forward after the cup final.”
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Derry’s top goal scorer, Patrick Hoban, is not expected to feature on Friday due to injury. Hoban was missed during last Friday’s 1-0 loss at Richmond Park as St Pat’s removed Higgins’s side from the title race.
Shelbourne are two points clear of Shamrock Rovers, but the defending champions’ superior goal difference means that Duff’s men will need a win in Derry if Rovers beat Waterford at Tallaght Stadium.
“It’s a time for men to stand tall and puff their chests out,” said Duff. “Paddy Barrett, Sean Gannon and Shane Griffin, who’ve won league [titles with Dundalk, Rovers and Cork City], are going to do that, along with others.
“There is a big responsibility also on the guys who haven’t won a league title yet. Hopefully they will win numerous titles in their careers. But you always have to win your first, so that is going to be the case for quite a few players.”
In typically bullish form, Duff branded Gannon the “best fullback in the league”, something he will probably have to prove if Michael Duffy, Derry’s main attacking threat, is to be contained on the left wing.
“He obviously has a tough task [on Friday] but if there is one player that knows Michael Duffy inside out, it’s Sean Gannon,” said Duff. “First and foremost, as always, defenders need to defend but the message has been clear and simple with Sean all year, to help out wide in attack too.”
A hero could come in many forms, at the Brandywell or in Tallaght, but Shels striker Sean Boyd has three goals in the last two games, so the 26-year-old looks to be in the sort of mood that could make him the title-securing match-winner.
