League Preview: Shelbourne -v- Longford Town

SHELBOURNE

Shelbourne welcome Longford Town to Tolka Park on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm) with confidence high after taking a point home from Ballybofey last Friday night against Finn Harps.

With quite a young side this season and Finn Harps being one of the title favourites , Owen Heary will have been quite satisfied to come away with a share of the spoils and also how his players responded after an opening day defeat and a postponed fixture the following week.

Not the ideal start to the season but it’s all starting to settle down now, and the result against Finn Harps last Friday leaves Shelbourne in eighth position with one point.

Last season, each of the league fixtures between these sides were close affairs with one win for both sides and two 0-0 draws.

They also met each other in the second round of the EA Sports cup 2^nd round with Longford winning the game 2-0.

Friday night sees the return of Alan Byrne from suspension for yellow cards carried over from last season and also a welcome return for Derek Prendergast who was unavailable last week due to work commitments.

Aidan Collins and Mark Hughes miss out through injury.

LONGFORD TOWN

Longford Town have begun their 2018 season with two consecutive home games picking up four points from the six on offer against both Cobh Ramblers and Wexford.

This has left them in a four way tie at the top with four points joining UCD, Cobh Ramblers and Galway United at the summit.

Town striker Chris Mulhall is the man in form with three goals from the opening two games and he will be confident he can continue his hot streak when he graces the Tolka Park pitch on Friday night.

On the injury front there are no fresh concerns with Alan Kehoe the only absentee heading into the game.

MATCH STATS

Longford Town’s all-time record goal scorer David O’Sullivan tonight lines out against his former club after five years in the midlands.

These sides met five times last season with Longford coming out on top on two occasions (one League win and the second round of the EA Sports Cup). Shelbourne had one win and there were two 0-0 draws between the sides.

BETTING

Shelbourne 7/5; Draw 2/1; Longford Town 17/10.

PREDICTION

Shelbourne 1-3 Longford Town

Shelbourne

Injured: Aidan Collins, Mark Hughes

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Longford Town

Injured: Alan Kehoe

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None