League Preview: Shelbourne v Cabinteely

SHELBOURNE

Shelbourne will be looking to build on last weekend’s thumping of basement side Athlone Town with a Dublin derby win over Cabinteely at Tolka Park on Friday evening. (kick-off 7.45pm)

After picking up four successive league stalemates, Shelbourne look to have really steadied the ship in recent weeks with some big wins against Cobh Ramblers, Wexford and Athlone Town strengthening their grip on the play-off places.

In addition to this, the Reds have an imperious home record so far in the league this year as they are yet to have fallen to defeat at Tolka Park in the First Division this season.

So far this season, Shelbourne have scored an average of two goals per game while also conceding an average of just .63 goals per game. David O’Sullivan is joint top of the goal scoring charts while Shels also have the best defence in the division, only conceding a mere 12 goals so far this year.

Should Shelbourne manage to collect the three points in this latest instalment of the Shels-Cabo Dublin derby, they could potentially see themselves two points behind top of the table UCD by the end of Friday evening as the Students head up to Donegal for an away trip to Finn Park.

In team news, Owen Heary will have to make do without the services of both Adam Evans and Lorcan Fitzgerald who are both nursing hamstring strains while the Reds will be able to welcome Derek Prendergast back to the fold after the former Bohemians man missed last week’s win in the Midlands.

Yet to have won a Dublin derby so far this season, Shels fans will be hoping that it will be fourth time lucky for their side after the Reds have failed to register a win against UCD or Cabinteely so far this season.

CABINTEELY

Looking to arrest their poor away record of recent months, Cabinteely will be hoping that they can call on the spirit of last year’s win at Tolka Park as Eddie Gormley’s side look to move into the play-off race before the mid-season break approaches.

It has been quite an inconsistent year for Cabo so far with their away day struggles really damaging their promotion aspirations so far this season. They have yet to win against any side outside of the bottom two.

With a recent revival looking to have spurred their season back into life, Cabinteely supporters know that they must pick up points on away days like these if they are to stand any chance of pulling themselves back into the promotion race come the end of the season.

It is likely that Cabinteely will utilise their three at the back formation of recent weeks against Shels in this Dublin derby after its roaring success in recent wins over UCD and Longford Town but they will have to wary of the threat posed by David O’Sullivan and co. on Friday night.

Cabinteely have failed to provide any team news for this weekend’s game at Tolka Park.

Referee: Paula Brady.

MATCH STATS

Cabinteely are only one of two sides that have inflicted defeat on Shelbourne so far this season as Shels fell to a two-nil defeat in Stradbrook as Conor Keeley and Kieran Marty Waters sealed the deal for Cabo.

Shelbourne have the second-best home record in the First Division so far this season as Owen Heary’s men have picked up 18 points from a possible 24. The Reds have only dropped points at home to Finn Harps, Drogheda United and UCD so far this year at Tolka Park.

In a stark comparison to this, Cabinteely have the third worst away record in the league having only picked up a poor six points from a possible 24 so far this season. Their only wins have come away to Athlone Town and Wexford.

BETTING

Shelbourne 4/9; Draw 3/1; Cabinteely 5/1.

PREDICTION

Shelbourne 2-0 Cabinteely

Shelbourne

Injured: Adam Evans, Lorcan Fitzgerald.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Cabinteely

Injured: Unknown.

Doubtful: Unknown.

Suspended: None.

Suspended: None.